Daily Diet Plan for a Vegetarian
There are several types of vegetarians. This guide is a kick-start meal plan for ovo-lacto vegetarians, which are vegetarians who consume eggs and dairy. Planning food consumption not only helps with counting calories, but it can also help add variety to a diet, so it is not composed of monotonous salads and pasta. Does this Spark an idea?
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Breakfast
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Starting your day with breakfast refuels the body after a good night's rest. Monday: Oatmeal with nonfat milk and a side of fresh fruit and cup of tea.
Tuesday: Whole bran muffin with a side of fruit and a cup of black coffee.
Wednesday: 1 cup of bran flake cereal with 1 cup of skim milk, topped with a fresh banana or berries.
Thursday: 1 cup of prepared quinoa with nonfat milk topped with raisins, a serving of fresh fruit or fruit juice, and 1 slice of whole-wheat toast with 1/2 serving of butter.
Friday: 2 whole-grain pancakes topped with 1/4 cup applesauce, a banana, and 1 cup of coffee or tea with nonfat milk.
Saturday: One serving of low-fat cottage cheese, one serving of pineapple rings or chunks, and 1/4 cup of granola.
Sunday: Egg-substitute omelet filled with a variety of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit juice, and two meatless sausage links.
Lunch
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Continuing your day with a vegetarian lunch will help you stay on track. Monday: One can of low-sodium minestrone soup, one whole-wheat roll, and a low-fat, fruit-flavored yogurt with no added sugar.
Tuesday: Roasted tomato hummus and whole-wheat crackers topped with salsa, accompanied by a side of raw cauliflower, and fresh fruit.
Wednesday: Two slices of whole-grain bread with one slice of low-fat cheese and two to three tomato slices. Add a dash of low-fat mayonnaise if desired. Add a side salad with reduced-calorie dressing.
Thursday: Egg salad prepared with low-fat mayonnaise, stuffed into pita bread. Add as many vegetable toppings as desired. Add a serving of raw broccoli and reduced-calorie ranch dressing for dipping.
Friday: Flour tortilla filled with as many vegetables as desired. Top with a low-fat cheese and red-wine vinegar. Add a generous side of air-popped popcorn, seasoned with black and red pepper flakes.
Saturday: One can of vegetarian soup with one serving of oyster crackers or whole-grain croutons, one whole-wheat roll, and one serving of raw carrots with reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping.
Sunday: Whole-wheat pasta with marinara sauce, one slice of whole-wheat bread baked with zero-calorie butter spray, minced garlic, and parsley. Spinach salad with a serving of dried-cranberries and walnuts, topped with reduced-calorie raspberry-vinaigrette dressing.
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Dinner
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Rounding out your day with a vegetarian dinner will encourage you to stick with it the next day. Monday: 1 1/2 cups of boiled cabbage and potatoes topped with one tsp. of olive oil and black pepper, one whole-grain roll sliced and topped with flavored hummus.
Tuesday: Tofu and vegetable stir-fry over brown rice and crunchy noodles with two spring rolls.
Wednesday: Cheese ravioli with spinach-marinara sauce, whole-wheat garlic bread, and a whole-fruit smoothie made with fruit, juice, ice and yogurt.
Thursday: Veggie-burgers on whole-grain rolls topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mustard. Add a side of sweet-potato fries, and a garlic dill pickle.
Friday: Homemade bean and cheese burritos with chips and salsa. Add a whole-fruit smoothie made with fruit, juice, ice and yogurt.
Saturday: Whole-wheat, low-fat cheese pizza with lots of vegetable toppings. Add a side salad with reduced-calorie dressing, with one scoop of whole-fruit sorbet for dessert.
Sunday: Veggie-dogs on whole-wheat buns topped with any veggies. Add a serving of boxed macaroni and cheese with one can of stewed tomatoes mixed in. Have one scoop of low-calorie sorbet and one serving of organic dark chocolate for dessert.
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References
- Photo Credit Vegetarian soup image by Vlad Kononov from Fotolia.com healthy breakfast image by William Berry from Fotolia.com healthy foods image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com Bowl of vegetarian chili with pepper and cilantro garnish. image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
