Healthful Vegetarian Meal Ideas – Tracy Boykin, RD
A vegetarian diet can include just as many tasty varieties as one including meat. Don’t hesitate to get creative in the kitchen. Try these healthful, vegetarian meal ideas:
Breakfast
- Cereal with milk (soymilk if vegan)
- Whole-wheat toast with margarine or jelly and a piece of fresh fruit
- Instant oatmeal with nuts, raisins and (soy)milk
Lunch
- Vegetable sandwich (tomatoes, peppers, onions, avocado) with or without (soy)cheese on whole-grain bread
- Vegetable soup with a piece of whole-grain toast
- Vegetable burger or falafel with (soy)cheese, mushrooms and tomato on whole-grain bread
- Pita bread filled with vegetables or peanut butter
- Chili with beans, textured vegetable protein and (soy)cheese
Dinner
- Tofu stir-fry with brown rice
- Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce plus vegetables (mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and onions)
- Tacos or burritos filled with beans, textured vegetable protein, tofu or tempe
- Pizza with or without cheese and topped with vegetables, tofu or meat substitute
Snacks
- Dried fruits
- Trail mix
- Popcorn
- Rice cakes
- Yogurt
- Smoothies made with calcium fortified rice milk, soymilk or cow’s milk
- Hummus
- Bagels with nut butter
- Instant soups
Information provided by Vegetarian Nutrition, a dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association.
