Clean eating vegetarian meals

This content has been removed.

I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian for 41 years (yes, since 1974, when I was 18). I also, nowadays at least, eat mostly whole foods. (Yeah, everybody means something different by 'whole' just as they all mean something different by 'clean'. I eat some simple canned things like beans, chopped tomatoes, peanut butter, but mostly in organic, BPA-free, minimal-added-stuff form).

Your question is pretty broad. In terms of prepping, I tend to make big batches of bean or pea soup & freeze portions in glass bowls. I make it very plain (onions, a little salt) and do different things with it at meal time. Pasta dishes also freeze well, like a lasagna cut up in portions. Freezing portioned quinoa, etc., is also a time-saver.

Most of the time I cook fresh stuff - I find it relaxing to wash & chop. It probably takes 20 minutes to half an hour work time to cook most dinners, perhaps more wall clock time for baked things. Representative meals might be tempeh stir-fry with cabbage (or greens or broccoli) & onions; roasted root vegetables (still need more protein from something with this); edamame (shelled) in soups or stir-fried; veggie chili with beans; salads with beans and seeds (I particularly like pepitas); Refried beans with chopped red/orange peppers & onions topped with a bit of cheese (I eat this with a spoon, often, but it can also be the basis for soft tacos, veggie tostadas, or burritos); oatmeal with greek yogurt and a few walnuts for breakfast (or lunch - I love oatmeal!); peanut butter on an apple as a light lunch. You can also puree beans, nuts or seeds into soups to add a bit of protein. Stuffed zucchini or similar stuffed veg are good, or slice & make a layered casserole.

Friend me if you want to see what I eat (though it's usually just a list of ingredients, but you can always ask). Be warned, though, the eggs are a semi-frequent ingredient.

I'm not vegetarian but ate vegetarian for a while.

Baked eggplant parm. Roast slices of eggplant top with marinara and cheese. Side salad to finish.

Zucchini pizza boats. Scoop out; add marinara, veggies and cheese. Bake

Tonight I'm having wonton ravioli. I mix ricotta with frozen spinach (squeeze out water); diced mushrooms, onions, mozerella. Fill the wonton then use water around edges to seal. Cook on gentle boil. Top with marinara with sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Black bean burgers. If you're not eating eggs, you can soak chia seeds in water til they make a gel. This will substitute as egg. For black bean burgers. I drain one can of black beans. Mash half; leave other half as is to keep consistency. Add minced garlic, minced onion, spices (cumin, salt, pepper); finish with panko bread crumbs. I've even toasted whole wheat bread in oven and crumble for the bread crumbs. Sautee in nonstick pan with olive oil. Lots of recipes online for black bean burgers.

Soups are great choice. Split pea soup. Tomato soup. Great soup I made recently is zucchini soup. It from skinnytaste.com.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

Servings: 4 • Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 1 • Weight Watchers Points+: 1 pt
Calories: 60 • Fat: 1 g • Protein: 3.5 g • Carb: 10 g • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 579 mg (without salt) • Cholesterol: 3 mg

Ingredients:

1/2 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
3 medium zucchini, skin on cut in large chunks
32 oz reduced sodium Swanson chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
fresh grated parmesan cheese if desired for topping (optional)

This was very good! I topped with store bought croutons.

Stuffed peppers. Stuff bell peppers with brown rice, diced veggies, top with tomato sauce or cheese. I made one with corn, salsa, black beans and sprinkle of cheese on top.

Pita bread or flat bread pizzas. Versatile and easy. Pita bread makes a great mexican type pizza with refried beans, salsa, green onion, etc.

Vegetarian chili. Easy and portable. Better next days.

Vegetarian lasagna. Use slices of zucchini for noodles. Make a big batch and separate into individual servings. Freeze. Zap in microwave.

Good luck!