Being a vegetarian is harder than it seems. Getting essential protein and vitamins is more difficult than for meat and fish eaters. It’s easy to eat dessert, bread and junk food all day, but your health will suffer as a result. Many vegetarians suffer the side effects of nutritional deficiencies due to a poorly planned diet. And then what is the point of being a vegetarian?
If you’re having trouble finding healthy and satisfying meals for your vegetarian lifestyle, check out our beginner’s guide to eating like a vegetarian.
1.Make sure your recipe can be doubled or tripled or create other meals
Buying ingredients for a single meal can be expensive. Instead, try to make sure you get a couple of meals out of your ingredients. You can also make meals and prepare multiple meals from that recipe to get more bang for your buck. Buying in bulk will save you from having to go to the store every week.
2. Perfect your shopping list
Going to the store aimlessly without a list is a sure way to end up with a strange mix of items that you can’t turn into a meal. Making a good shopping list is important, but so is shopping at the right supermarket. If your preferred store is not vegetarian friendly, it can be difficult to find items. Still, don’t overlook the produce section of the thrift store or the sale items—worn fruits and veggies need love, too.
3. Use a customizable eating plan
There are plenty of recipes and ideas online on sites like Foodgawker. Websites like Slender Kitchen can help you come up with a customizable meal plan for your needs, and many sites will let you print ingredient lists right at home. Also, use apps that can help you organize your list by aisle. I mean, just look at this creamy quinoa caprese bake or this delicious and refreshing California sandwich.
4. Consider the frequency of meal planning
This is an important part of a vegetarian’s meal planning. Are you planning to prepare a large amount of food that you can eat for several days in a row? Or do you easily get tired of food? Canned food is great to incorporate in large quantities, such as beans and canned vegetables that make vegetarian taco night a breeze.
5. Discover your meat substitutes
You can take meat recipes and easily substitute a vegetable protein. Mushrooms have a naturally meaty flavor, as do soy substitutes, tempeh, and seitan. Beans can also infuse warmth and flavor into most dishes. Some of these options are so convincing that the carnivores in your life will think they’re eating meat.
6. Buy
After your planning and lists, you should be a bit more confident in the supermarket aisles. Plant-based diets are becoming more and more popular, and with a list in hand, it will be easier to stay on budget. It’ll also be easier to stay in list territory, which can land you in the land of junk food and unnecessary purchases like pre-made meals in the hot aisles.
7. Prepare and cook the food
There’s no better feeling than unloading a ton of fresh food and seeing the full potential of the delicious meals laid out in front of you. We suggest preparing. Chopping and slicing – This will make the cooking process less intimidating, knowing that all the ingredients are ready in the fridge. Especially healthy snacks. If you fancy carrots and hummus, it’s much easier when the sticks are waiting for you or you’re in the fridge.
8. Find the best meals for vegetarian meal planning
The best ingredients for a vegetarian eating plan include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (smoothies make a pretty tasty dessert), as well as grains like quinoa, rice, and oats. Try to look for foods that can be cooked in 30 minutes or less; an Instant Pot works wonders to aid this process. Eggs and fish are also fantastic sources of protein, if you’re not a pure vegetable. Avoid processed ingredients and added sugars.
9. Write meal plans for each day of the week.
For your breakfasts, consider a bowl of Greek yogurt with frozen fruit, nuts, and seeds, or high-fiber oatmeal with dried fruit and chia. Get creative with salads so you don’t get bored easily with the ingredients, and consider international cuisines you haven’t tried before, like vegetarian curries and pakoras, which are nutrient-dense yet totally comfort foods.
