Picky vegetarian meal ideas.

Woodsmoke wrote: »

I want to avoid meat as much as possible and hopefully not go for the meat substitutes or tofu. Just veg and other such things. (Not vegan.)

But I hate beans. And chickpeas. Avoiding these things (and broccoli and cauliflower), vegetarian meals please! I'm getting bored with stir fry >_<

Make mexican stuff. Like tacos, spanish rice bowls, nachos, spinach enchiladas, etc.

Make pasta, like spaghetti and (faux) meat sauce or just plain marinara, cappelinni with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, spicy pasta with artichoke and aspargus, cheese lasagna, bowtie pasta with spicy vodka sauce, etc. Hell, can't forget PIZZA!

Salads with any number of foods you enjoy. I personally love making grilled ceaser salads, fresh chopped salads, balsamic tomato salads, greek salad, etc.

Asian dishes, I personally love fried tofu, mapo tofu, soondubu jigae, kimchi jigae, miyook guk, pho, any number of miso based or kombu based soups, omurice, tempura, fresh spring rolls, mandu/dumplings, bok choi w/miso, etc.

Greek dishes, greek salad, bulgar salad, stuffed tomatoes, gigantes plaki, briam, melitzanosalata, roasted potatoes, spanakopita, Fasolakia giaxni, etc.

Middle east/type, falafel, hummus, babaghanoush, vegetable salads, pita, durum, stuffed olive leaves, lemon potatoes, etc. etc. etc.

Soups/stews, tortilla soup, lentil stew, cream of x soup, etc.

You get my point. I've been a vegetarian my entire life, believe me, you don't have to eat nothing but meat substitutes for every meal. BUT, i just want to say that eating things like nuts, beans, lentils, some dairy, some faux meat, tofu, etc. may make your diet more enjoyable. I personally LOVE tofu, but have to keep it to a minimum in my diet. I know you said no tofu but it's one of my favorites so i had to include it.

p.s. if you eat eggs there's a whole host of breakfast foods i wanted to include too: cereals, oatmeal, french toast, waffles, omeletes, cheese and egg grilled sandwich, fritattas, breakfast tacos, etc.

Just a word of caution. When I hear you say you don't want tofu/beans or meat substitutes I get a bit worried about you getting proper nutrition. I don't say this to discourage you, but just so you do some research and make sure you eat all the nutrients you need.

Definitely try seitan... it rocks.

Although it might be considered a meat substitute...

I have some ideas on my Instagram! I also avoid meat substitutes and prefer to eat veggie sushi, curry, banana ice cream, pizza, and lots of other yummy foods! @jessicasodenkamp

Lentile tacos are bomb. Pulled "pork" sandwiches (using canned jackfruit) with a vegie slaw. Vegetarian lasagna. Veggie soups. You can find lots of meatless ideas on the app yummly

I am not a big fan of beans, but they do provide protein and fiber and are filling. I don't like the texture of the skin. I don't know if you don't like them in general, but I can handle them if they are pureed. For example, kidney beans are a no, but hummus is ok.

Also, I can puree white beans into spaghetti sauce, and it fills me up much faster than spaghetti sauce alone. Pasta is a trigger for me, and I will eat a lot. Pureeing white beans into the sauce makes the pasta so filling that I stop. Not too much, but enough to trick you.

If gas is the issue, bean-o is a helpful product. Also, after eating beans for a while, I think your body gets used to it and it's not a problem any more.

Otherwise, I do veggie sandwiches on pita bread...cheese with tomatoes, etc. Eggplant is a great sandwich filling. As are Portobello mushroom burgers.

Sauteed mushrooms is a great taco filling.

Another favorite taco filling is avocado slices, in place of meat, and the regular toppings...lettuce, salsa, etc. Avocado is so fat, you could even forego cheese. Sometimes I use feta as it replicates Mexican white cheese.

Omelettes, as someone said...throw in some spinach with your eggs. Add some salsa.
I like baked potatoes with fat free greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
Soups are filling. Just a box of vegetable broth poured over sautéed onions and your favorite veggies thrown in (or even a bag of frozen)

McDougall has instant soups that are vegetarian. All are kinda high in sodium, but if that's not an issue...
Sometimes I buy a curry sauce and cook it with frozen veggies and pour it over rice.
Good luck.

I am on a more plant based diet as well. And I have to admit at first, I was super freaked out about tofu. I think tofu gets a bad wrap from meat eaters, but it really is awesome. I would recommend trying it where it is hidden a little bit until you get used to its unique texture. A great place to start is a small teriyaki, tofu, veggie, and brown rice bowl. It is amazing!

veggie pot pie - https://richbitchcooking.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/vegan-veggie-pot-pie-w-store-bought-crust/



You can do all sorts of things with rice. Like this bowl here (soy free/meat free/dairy free) https://richbitchcooking.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/vegan-taco-mac-cheese-low-fatsoy-free/


If you change your sauces up then you can add a lot a variety without have to branch out to new foods if you're picky. https://richbitchcooking.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/vegan-asian-noodles-broccoli-homemade-teriyaki-sauce-fat-free/