Sample Menus and Recipes for a Vegetarian Diet Plan
Start your vegetarian diet plan off right. Diet Plans Weekly has created two days of sample menus, along with simple, delicious recipes. Each menu is approximately 1,200 calories, which is the typical calorie level for weight loss. For extremely active individuals and most men, add a source of lean protein and a whole grain to supply you with additional calories. Our lacto-ovo vegetarian weight loss diet is packed with nutrients and healthy meals to help you shed pounds. Ovo-vegetarians can easily adapt the menus by replacing diary with soy products. Lacto-vegetarians will find that they can use egg substitute in place of eggs in the recipes. Combine this diet with exercise and a vegetarian multi-vitamin and you will be on your way to a healthier, more energetic, and lighter you.
1200 Calorie Vegetarian Diet Plan:
Day 1 – 1200 Calories
Breakfast
1 blueberry flaxseed muffin (see recipe)
1 cup of skim milk
Lunch
Zesty corn soup (see recipe)
Asian slaw (see recipe)
1 small tangerine
Snack
1 cup of nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup of strawberries
Dinner
Eggplant parmesan with bulgur (see recipes)
1 cup of raw spinach salad (baby spinach, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and cucumbers drizzled with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with sea salt)
Dessert
Roasted apples (see recipe)
Day 2 – 1200 Calories
Breakfast
1 serving (1/4 cup dry) steel cut oats with a sprinkle of dried cranberries and agave nectar to taste
1 cup blackberries
1 cup skim milk
Lunch
Avocado-mango salad (1 cup salad greens, ½ cup sliced mango, and 1/5 medium avocado drizzled with canola oil and red wine vinegar)
Spicy lentil soup (see recipe)
Snack
1 cup of nonfat yogurt
Dinner
Eggs with green beans and potatoes (see recipe)
½ cup steamed broccoli
Dessert
1 small nectarine
Vegetarian Diet Recipes:
Blueberry Maple Muffins
Blueberry Maple Muffins – 12 Servings
Ingredients:
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs
½ cup organic maple syrup
1 cup fat-free buttermilk
¼ cup canola oil
2 tsp fresh orange zest, grated
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
1 tbsp sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
- Add flaxseeds, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk.
- Whisk eggs and maple syrup until smooth in a medium bowl. Add buttermilk, oil, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened with a spatula. Fold in blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle sugar on top.
- Bake the muffins for about 15-25 minutes, or until muffin tops are golden brown and springy. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Loosen the edges of the muffins and place them on a wire rack to cool.
Zesty Corn Soup
Zesty Corn Soup – 8 Servings
Ingredients:
2 tsp canola oil
1 cup onions, chopped
Hot sauce to taste
1 tbsp curry powder
Salt to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 16-ounce bags of frozen corn
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup light or low-fat coconut milk
Directions:
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Toss in onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add hot sauce, curry powder, salt, and pepper, coating the onions.
- Stir in corn, water, and vegetable broth. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.
- Remove mixture from the heat and puree soup in a blender until smooth and blended, but still slightly textured.
- Pour soup in a fresh pot and add coconut milk. Heat through. Enjoy hot or cold.
Asian Slaw
Asian Slaw – 4 Servings
Ingredients:
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 ½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp wasabi powder
1 clove garlic, minced
12 ounces firm, light silken tofu, drained and cut into ½ inch cubes
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 cups shredded bok choy
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions:
- Add soy sauce, wasabi powder, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk well. Add tofu and stir gently. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Drain tofu, saving the marinade. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 about minutes. Add the tofu and cook, stirring frequently, until it is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
- Put cabbage and bok choy in a large bowl.
- Spoon tofu mixture over cabbage and bok choy.
- Pour reserved marinade in the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour the hot marinade over the salad and toss to coat.
Eggplant Parmesan with Bulgar
Eggplant Parmesan with Bulgur – 6 Servings
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
¾ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
4 tbsp low-fat parmesan cheese, grated
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
2 globe eggplants
¼ tsp sea salt
1 ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup bulgur
2 medium tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp basil leaves, divided
1/3 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
- Pour egg whites in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.
- Trim the ends off of the eggplants and cut each crosswise into six ¾-inch slices. Dip the slices first in the egg whites and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on the baking sheets. Bake about 25 minutes or until eggplant is tender and golden brown.
- While eggplant is baking, bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in bulgur, cover, turn off heat, and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Combine tomatoes, garlic, three-quarters of the basil, and tomato paste in a blender or food processor. Blend until sauce is chunky. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Spoon sauce over eggplant slices evenly. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Stack six of the eggplant slices, one on top of the other, until you have 2 stacks of six eggplant slices next to each other on one baking sheet. Broil until mozzarella is melted and slightly browning on top.
- Stir the remainder of the basil and the pine nuts into the bulgur. Serve alongside the eggplant parmesan.
Roasted Apples
Roasted Apples – 4 Servings
Ingredients:
3 Golden Delicious apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Core, peel, and cut apples into ½-inch thick slices.
- Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour in sugar and toss again.
- Place apples in a single layer on to a baking sheet.
- Roast, stirring and turning occasionally, about 25 to 30 minutes, or until apples are tender and golden brown.
Eggs with Green Beans and Potatoes
Eggs with Green Beans and Potatoes – 4 Servings
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cups cooked potatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
4 large eggs
Directions:
- Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling water until crisp, yet tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Spread potatoes over oil in an even layer and cook, turning occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender and browned. Add green beans, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Crack eggs in a small bowl and place them gently, one at a time, on top of the vegetables. Space them evenly. Cover and cook over medium heat until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked.
