Going vegan just because you want to lose weight will not cut it. What is vital for people on vegetarian diets is to get the right nutrients, meat or no meat in your meal prep. Leaving meat out of the eating lifestyle will not automatically make you a healthy person. However, it can be possible with the vegan diet if you know how. We provide you some of the best healthy vegetarian recipes for weight loss tips.
This means that diet meal plans will only bring health benefits if it consists of the right amounts of dietary fiber, protein, minerals, healthy fats and vitamins. This article gives you a bird’s eye view of what it is to go totally vegan. The vegan recipes prep and recipes will make you see if going on a totally plant-based diet can meet your weight loss goal if you stick to your vegan meal plans and healthy eating. Check our ultimate healthy vegetarian meal prep for weight loss tips.
Things to know about a vegetarian diets
How would you know if a person is a vegetarian? They are not just people who sit there and eat cabbage soup. A vegetarian is a type of person who genuinely cares about their health, the environment, and the welfare of animals. This altruistic attitude towards animals, in particular, makes them pass up any kind of meat including seafood and fish.
There’s a difference between a vegan and a vegetarian, however. For instance, those on a vegetarian diet are amenable towards dairy and egg products while vegans shun everything except veggies in their vegan meal plans.
One of the best ways to counteract these cravings is to plan your meals, shop for them, and prepare them from scratch. The good news is that vegetarian meals prep is super easy to whip up any time of the day.
Vegetarian Meal Planning
A vegetarian meal plan allow you to have a structure to how you are eating. It avoids haphazardly reaching for the wrong foods. A great way to think about your meals is the plate model, which was popularized by Martha Stewart. According to the plate model, you should divide your plate up as follows:
- Half of your plate should be vegetables.
- About a quarter of your plate should be whole grain products, root vegetables or whole grain bread.
- About a quarter of your plate should be protein rich foods such as legumes, tofu, tempeh, ready-made soy products, corn products, cheese and eggs.
When you transition to vegetarian, it can be difficult to find good snack foods. Here are some great options to satisfy your in-between meal hunger pangs:
- Whole grain bread with sourdough and egg/cottage cheese/cheese/ tofu/hummus and vegetables and sprouts
- Hard-boiled egg
- Cottage cheese or soy cream cheese and berries or fruit
- Carrots, cucumbers, and cauliflower
- Avocado
- Green Smoothie
- Energy bars
- Fruit, berries and nuts, almonds, or seeds.
- Smoothie bowls
Many people worry about getting enough protein when the transition to a vegetarian diet. However, if your follow the Martha Stewart plate model you will never have to worry about your protein intake. Just be sure to plan to eat some kind of legumes with every meal when you are coming up with meal prep ideas. When you are creating your vegetarian meal plans, you should also be sure to include enough Vitamin D and B12 as well as calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium.
If you are a lacto- vegetarians you should think about eating enough iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium. When coming up with meal plan ideas. Vitamin B12 cannot be found in vegetables, and so it makes sense for vegans to take a multivitamin supplement that includes the B-complex range.
Vegans should also pay attention to their calcium intake and use calcium-enriched products. Iron deficiency is also fairly common among vegetarians, as is zinc deficiency. Iodine is found in iodine-enriched salt, but if you use sea or rock salt you should pay attention to your intake.
Vegetarian Shopping List
The vegetarian shopping lists described below are the basic staples you need to have on hand. They will allow you to prepare a variety of vegetarian mean plans. If weight loss is the end goal, having these ingredients in your pantry is vital.
Eggs
Eggs, especially the organic kind, are must-haves if you decide to be an ovo-vegetarian. Since they can be stored in the refrigerator and still remain fresh for up to four weeks, they are the best things to have in the home to use through the week.
The high cholesterol content of eggs is high-density lipoprotein or HDL which actually helps keep the heart healthy. HDL is also known as the “good cholesterol.”
Whole grains
Whole grains also keep for a long time which makes them handy whenever you want to cook up a filling, nutritious, healthy, and inexpensive meal. Some of the whole grains that you need to stock up in the pantry include Bulgar, sorghum, whole oats, amaranth,whole-grain barley, and buckwheat.
Vegetables
This is the obvious food you need to have on hand when you decide that going vegetarian can help you meet your weight loss goals. Therefore, plain frozen vegetables are the best ones to go for as they are the better choice than the ones you get from a supermarket. For instance, the frozen variety retains their freshness for a longer time because they are immediately frozen upon harvest.
Beans and legumes
Stocking up on a variety of beans is a good option for any vegetarian. They can be stored and prepared in advance whenever you have time to cook them. Above all, they can be stored and reheated at any time of the day.
A can of beans is the most versatile food item you can have in your pantry. You can make a great-tasting dip by mashing and mixing them with your preferred spices. Beans can also add extra bulk to salads or serve as a simple meal after heating them up with a bit of onion and garlic.
Vegetarian recipes and meal prep ideas
Fruit, Oatmeal, and Nut Breakfast (322 calories)
- 1 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup oatmeal cooked in ½ cup water and½ cup skim milk
- ½diced medium-sized apple
Cook the oatmeal and top it off with walnuts and apple.
Cheddar Cheese and Tomato Salad Vegetarian Lunch (315 calories)
- 1 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- 2 cups mixed greens
- ¼ cup carrot, grated
- ½ cup of sliced cucumbers
Mix them all and drizzle with ½ tbsp each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Brown rice, veggies, and BeansVegetarian Dinner (464 calories)
- ¼ cup salsa or pico de gallo
- ½ sliced red onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ browned cooked rice
- ½ cored and sliced green bell pepper or red pepper
- ¼ cup cooked and drained black beans
Over medium heat, use a medium-sized skillet to heat the oil. Stir in onion and pepper. Stir constantly for around 5–8 minutes or until veggies are tender. After that, in a bowl, put beans and rice together. Top the bowl with cheese, salsa, or pico de gallo and vegetables. Serve.
Hearty Muesli and Greek YogurtBreakfast (264 calories)
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain, non-fat
- ¼ cup muesli
Top Greek yogurt with muesli, blueberries, and serve.
Spicy Chickpea Nuts and Veggie Salad Lunch (337 calories)
- 1 tbsp feta cheese
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 5 halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup spiced chickpea nuts. Prepare the chickpeas in advance by using a hot oven to roast them
- ½ cup sliced cucumber
- ½ sliced sweet potato
Mix all the ingredients. Use 1 tbsp each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil to top the salad.
Pita Bread Dinner (376 calories)
- 2 cups mixed baby salad greens
- 1 sliced and cored small tomato
- 6 ½ inch or 1 pita bread, whole wheat
- 1 ounce sliced pearl mozzarella balls
- ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Line a toaster-oven pan with foil. Place pita bread on top of the foil. Use 1 tsp oil to brush the bread evenly. Place mozzarella and tomato on top of the bread. Toast for 5–8 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. After that, remove and top with fresh basil. Serve.
Cauliflower Rice Casserole (455 calories)
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
- 1 lb chopped mushrooms
- 8 oz velveeta cheese
- 4 Tbsp butter can of cream of mushroom soup can of cream of celery soup
- Preheat oven to 300F (150C).
- Cook 2 cups white rice according to directions. Sauté mushrooms with butter in large saucepan, drain off excess butter when done. Trim broccoli florets and lightly steam for about 5 minutes.
- In a large saucepan, combine soups ( lentil soup ) and velveeta cheese until the cheese is melted. Pour in rice and mushrooms and mix well. Then add broccoli and do one last stir before pouring the mixture into a large casserole.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
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Conclusion
There are endless healthy vegetarian meal preparations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and snack ideas that are delicious, nutritious, and super easy to prepare. Planning your plant-based meals ahead of time is the best option if weight loss is the ultimate goal. Good healthy vegan diet meal plans based on clean eating and meal planning can help you with fat loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
