Vegetarian Recipes !

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I have been a Vegetarian my entire life and whenever I want to eat healthy I just switch to vegan. I loose weight but right when I stop I gain it back plus some. The reason I stop is because I personally don't have the fund to eat that much and also it is hard with friends and family around trying to make you food. I need some low cal healthy meals are good for people on a budget :)

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  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
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    I have 3 vegetarian soups that are super cheap which my family loves: Crockpot Blackbean Soup, Sweet Potato Lentil Stew and Palak Shorba (Indian Spinach soup). What makes them vegetarian vs vegan is that I use butter for the oil so that could easily be replaced, if so inclined. The blackbean soup is 110 cals a cup, the sweet potato lentil is 180 a cup, and I have not yet put the spinach into the recipe calculator. We make these soups in huge batches and then freeze into cup-size portions. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and will post them tonight, as I am currently @ work and the recipes are at home.
  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
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    Hey, I'm veggie too, feel free to add me or take a look at my diary.

    Vegetarianism/veganism & weight loss are independent things. You lost weight on a vegan diet because you ate fewer calories than you burnt off. Nothing to do with eating 'healthy' or vegan.

    You can eat whatever you like; as long as you are in a calorie deficit and are meeting your nutritional needs you will lose weight.

    There's a couple of groups you might like on the forums where we share recipes etc:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/46-team-vegan
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores


  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
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    ripemango wrote: »
    I have 3 vegetarian soups that are super cheap which my family loves: Crockpot Blackbean Soup, Sweet Potato Lentil Stew and Palak Shorba (Indian Spinach soup). What makes them vegetarian vs vegan is that I use butter for the oil so that could easily be replaced, if so inclined. The blackbean soup is 110 cals a cup, the sweet potato lentil is 180 a cup, and I have not yet put the spinach into the recipe calculator. We make these soups in huge batches and then freeze into cup-size portions. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and will post them tonight, as I am currently @ work and the recipes are at home.

    +1

    Soups are great in general. Cheap, tasty and low in calories.

    Miso, wild mushroom, leek and potato, pea, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, and chickpea and lentil soup are some of my favourites.
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
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    I love both of these recipes from Making Thyme for Health:

    makingthymeforhealth.com/2014/02/16/spinach-artichoke-quinoa-casserole/
    makingthymeforhealth.com/2013/11/19/butternut-squash-and-sweet-potato-soup-vegan/

    Now, I'm not a vegetarian so I may have garnished the soup with crumbled bacon. BUT! The leftovers were eaten "naked" and it was delicious. And the spinach artichoke casserole is a thing of beauty.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    I don't get what you mean by you don't have the funds to eat a certain way. Vegetarian or vegan, I don't think one is more expensive than the other.

    Grains and legumes are super cheap, especially if you buy them from the bins at your market. Frozen veggies can be cheaper than fresh at times.

    http://www.allyou.com/food/supercheap-meals/cheap-vegetarian-meals


    http://yummyplants.com/vegan-lifestyle-tips/vegan-on-a-budget/vegan-on-a-budget-tips-for-creating-delicious-and-affordable-vegan-meals/

    http://ecovegangal.com/eat/recipes
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Frozen foods are your friend as are farmer's markets and produce markets. I buy fruit when it's cheap and in season and freeze so I have fruit year round. I also buy in bulk fresh green beans and freeze. Learning to cook your own beans from scratch is a great way to save. High protein beans like lentils and black beans are dirt cheap. Again buy in bulk and freeze. A high protein but inexpensive vegetarian meal I like is black beans with sunny side up egg on top and a few slices of avocado. An inexpensive high protein vegan meal is chick peas, chopped spinach and dices tomatoes. Both are filling and relatively inexpensive. Make your own veggie burgers. My favorite recipe is sweet potato/black bean veggie burgers. There are a zillion variation of it on pinterest.
  • dianesimons21
    dianesimons21 Posts: 16 Member
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    ripemango wrote: »
    I have 3 vegetarian soups that are super cheap which my family loves: Crockpot Blackbean Soup, Sweet Potato Lentil Stew and Palak Shorba (Indian Spinach soup). What makes them vegetarian vs vegan is that I use butter for the oil so that could easily be replaced, if so inclined. The blackbean soup is 110 cals a cup, the sweet potato lentil is 180 a cup, and I have not yet put the spinach into the recipe calculator. We make these soups in huge batches and then freeze into cup-size portions. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and will post them tonight, as I am currently @ work and the recipes are at home.

  • dianesimons21
    dianesimons21 Posts: 16 Member
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    I wld love the sweet potatoe and lentil recipe please. Im dianesimons21@yahoo.co.uk
  • Jilllybeanns
    Jilllybeanns Posts: 29 Member
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    ripemango wrote: »
    I have 3 vegetarian soups that are super cheap which my family loves: Crockpot Blackbean Soup, Sweet Potato Lentil Stew and Palak Shorba (Indian Spinach soup). What makes them vegetarian vs vegan is that I use butter for the oil so that could easily be replaced, if so inclined. The blackbean soup is 110 cals a cup, the sweet potato lentil is 180 a cup, and I have not yet put the spinach into the recipe calculator. We make these soups in huge batches and then freeze into cup-size portions. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and will post them tonight, as I am currently @ work and the recipes are at home.
    Please do!
  • Bap80
    Bap80 Posts: 1 Member
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    These sound lovely, could you post the recipes please? :)
  • dellamartha
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    I have been a Vegetarian my entire life and whenever I want to eat healthy I just switch to vegan. I loose weight but right when I stop I gain it back plus some. The reason I stop is because I personally don't have the fund to eat that much and also it is hard with friends and family around trying to make you food. I need some low cal healthy meals are good for people on a budget :)

    I would like the recipes pleas
  • dellamartha
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    4Addy wrote: »
    ripemango wrote: »
    I have 3 vegetarian soups that are super cheap which my family loves: Crockpot Blackbean Soup, Sweet Potato Lentil Stew and Palak Shorba (Indian Spinach soup). What makes them vegetarian vs vegan is that I use butter for the oil so that could easily be replaced, if so inclined. The blackbean soup is 110 cals a cup, the sweet potato lentil is 180 a cup, and I have not yet put the spinach into the recipe calculator. We make these soups in huge batches and then freeze into cup-size portions. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and will post them tonight, as I am currently @ work and the recipes are at home.
    Please do!

    I would like the recipes please - where can I find them?
  • dellamartha
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    Sorry - posted in the wrong place.
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
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    Crockpot Black Bean Soup
    1 cup dry black beans, rinsed
    1 large onion, diced
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    ½ cup hot, chunky salsa (nutritional info reflects 1 cup bc I like it better this way)
    1 T. Butter
    1 T. cumin
    pinch of dried oregano
    pinch of cayenne pepper
    salt to taste

    Directions:
    1. Add the stock, beans, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano and cayenne to the crockpot.
    2. Turn on HIGH for 8 hours. Add water if needed to keep beans submerged if too much liquid evaporates.
    3. Check softness of beans at the end of 8 hours, cooking more if needed.
    4. Add salsa. Mash about half of the beans or remove some of the beans and puree the contents of crock using a handheld blender. Return removed beans to the crock.
    5. Stir in butter.
    6. Add salt to taste.
    *I usually make the stock overnight and while it is being made, I soak the bean. Pre-soaking isn’t necessary but allows the soup to be done within 8 hours.

    Indian Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew
    INGREDIENTS:
    1 large onion, minced
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
    1 cup lentils
    2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
    1 cup water
    2 cups baked sweet potatoes, mashed
    14 oz diced tomatoes
    salt to taste (optional)
    1 T ground Cumin
    1/8 tsp ground Cinnamon
    1 T. Curry powder
    1 T. Lime juice
    1/8 tsp cayenne
    2 T. white sugar
    3 T. Butter - Salted
    DIRECTIONS:
    1. Heat 2 T. butter in a pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in butter until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Add and stir spices, about 2 more minutes.
    2. Stir lentils, tomatoes, lime, water and broth into pot; bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until lentils are mostly softened, about 30 minutes.
    3. Stir in sweet potatoes; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are fully cooked, about 10 more minutes. Season with salt, sugar and remaining T of butter.

    Palak Shorba
    Ingredients:
    3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    1 bunch or 1 bag of spinach
    1 Onion, finely chopped
    3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
    1″ piece grated Ginger or 1 tsp ground
    1 T. butter
    1/8 tsp ground Cinnamon
    1 T. Flour
    1 tsp garam masala
    1/8 tsp cayenne (bc I don’t usu have green chiles in the house, otherwise 1.5 T green chiles)
    2 Bay leafs (may be omitted)
    1 tsp Cumin powder
    Salt to taste
    Directions:
    1. Heat butter in a pan.
    2. Add the ginger, garlic, onion and sauté 2 to 4 minutes.
    3. Add spices and flour, sauté 2 more minutes.
    4. Add stock, bay leaves, and spinach.
    5. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the flame cover and cook 15 minutes.
    6. Remove bay leaves
    7. Puree all or part and cook for another 5 minutes.
    Garnish with yogurt if desired.
    **There are many variations on this soup. Google to see if others seem more enticing