weight loss recipes

Vegetarian Meal Plan – Week 1 Recipes with calorie counts

• Week 1 Meal Plan
• Tips for using this meal plan

Frequently used recipes:

Side Salad

• 2 cups of greens (spinach, romaine, your choice)
• ¼ cucumber
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 slice of red onion
• 1tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Calories 87, Protein 3, Carbs 20, Fat 0

Vegan Yogurt * makes 3 4oz. servings

• 1 package of mori-nu silken tofu (shelf able tofu found in Asian section of grocery stores)
• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup (more to taste)

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Some discoloration may occur due to banana.

Calories 114, Protein 8g, Carbs 17g, Fat 2g

Tortilla Chips

To make tortilla chips, cut two corn tortillas into 8 pieces each and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Calories 100, Protein 2g, Carbs 20g, Fat 2g

 

Day 1

Breakfast – Banana Blueberry Oatmeal

• ½ cup rolled oats (uncooked)
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 banana, sliced
• ¼ cup blueberries

Cook oats in water. You can add more water if you like your oatmeal to be more soupy. Once cooked, mix with applesauce and ground cinnamon. Top with banana and blueberries.

Calories 300, Protein 7g, Carbs 65g, Fat 0

Lunch – Strawberry Spinach Salad

• 3 cups Spinach
• 1 cup Strawberries
• ¼ c Feta Cheese (optional)
• ¼ Red Onion
• 2 tbsp. Almond slices
• 3 tbsp. Light Raspberry Vinaigrette or Balsamic

Chop spinach, strawberries and onion. Mix strawberries with onion and feta. Make a bed of spinach, place strawberry mixture on top, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with dressing.

Calories 300, Protein 12g, Carbs 31 g, Fat 17

Dinner – Black Bean Burrito

• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup pineapple salsa
• ¼ cup Vegetarian cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup Corn (defrosted if frozen)
• Lettuce, shredded
• Tomato, diced
• Onion, diced

Warm Beans in vegetable broth. Wrap all ingredients in tortilla and enjoy!

Calories 522, Protein 22g, Carbs 81g, Fat 15

Snacks

3oz. Baby Carrots, 8 Strawberries

Calories 35, Protein 1g, Carbs 6g, Fat 0

 

Day 2

Breakfast – Tofu Scramble * makes 2 servings, save ½ for Thursdays breakfast

• 1 package of firm tofu, press some of the water out by hand
• 1 small Onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 3 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• ¼ cup Salsa
• 1 cup Spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic and sauté until they begin to turn translucent. Add tofu, crumbling. Use a spatula to further break tofu up tofu. Add nutritional yeast, mustard, salsa and spices. Combine well and cook until heated. Add spinach and cook until desired tenderness.

Calories 338, Protein 27g, Carbs 16g, Fat 20

Lunch – Hummus with Pita Chips and Veggies

Hummus:  * Makes 2 servings, reserve ½ recipe for later in the week

• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained
• ¼ cup tahini
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• ½ tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ tsp. paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Pita Chips

• ½  Pita Bread, cut into 4 Pieces and separated to make 8
• ½  tbsp. olive oil
• Sea Salt to taste

Place bread on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and broil for 5 minutes or until crisp. These can be made ahead of time and stored in a ziplock bag.

Serve hummus with pita bread and 2 cups of raw veggies of your choice 9baby carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.)

Calories 449, Protein 9g, Carbs 37g, Fat 6

Dinner – Stir Fry Vegetables with Brown Rice and Baked Tofu * Makes 2 servings save for lunch

• 1 package firm tofu
• 1 14oz. bag stir fry veggies
• 1 cup Brown rice cooked
• ¼ cup Soy Sauce
• ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. Drain tofu and wrap in dish towel. Place on counter with a heavy plate or pan on top of it to press water out of it. Cut into whatever shape you like and put into a container to marinade with soy sauce and garlic. Bake for 20 minutes, or until desired firmness, flipping once.

Stir Fry veggies in olive oil until desired tenderness.

Place ½ rice in bowl, top with ½ veggies and ½ tofu. Save remaining for lunch.

Calories 473, Protein 30g, Carbs 44g, Fat 21

Snacks

1 tomato, sliced

Calories 22, Protein 1g, Carbs 5g, Fat 0

½ cup of grapes

Calories 31, Protein 0g, Carbs 8g, Fat 0

 

Day 3

Breakfast – Strawberry Banana Smoothie

• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Banana
• 6 large strawberries

Blend ingredients in blender and enjoy.

Calories 175, Protein 3g, Carbs 38g, Fat 3

Lunch – Leftover Stir Fry

From previous dinner.

Calories 473, Protein 30g, Carbs 44g, Fat 21

Dinner – Pita Pizza with veggie topping and Side salad

• 1 whole wheat pita
• ¼ cup pizza sauce
• 1 oz. vegetarian mozzarella cheese

Veggie toppings of your choice (mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach)

Top pita bread with pizza sauce, add veggies and cheese and bake at 350 for about ten minutes until cheese is melted. If you want your veggies cooked more, you can sauté them first.

Calories 304, Protein 16g, Carbs 45g, Fat 8

Snacks

½ cup of blueberries

1 cucumber sliced with lemon and chili powder

Calories 44, Protein 2, Carbs 11, Fat 0

 

Day 4

Breakfast – Breakfast Tacos

• ½ recipe tofu scramble
• 2 corn tortillas

Hot sauce as desired

Heat tofu scramble and place in corn tortillas. Top with hot sauce or salsa.

Calories 438, Protein 29g, Carbs 36g, Fat 22

Lunch – Hummus and Black Bean  Wrap

• 1/4 recipe hummus
• ¼ cup black beans
• 2 tbsp. salsa
• 1 cup greens of your choice (romaine, spinach, etc.)
• 1 whole wheat tortilla

Spread hummus on tortilla, top with black beans, salsa and greens and roll.

Calories 327, Protein 15g, Carbs 44g, Fat 11

Dinner – Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Marinara Sauce

*This makes four servings, save one serving for leftovers and invite a friend or two to join you!

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• 1 package mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Italian seasoning to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Cut squash in half. Scrape out seeds. Place open side down on cookie sheet and cook for 30-45 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork.

Sautee mushrooms, onions and garlic. Add jar of marinara and simmer on low until squash is done.

Use a fork to scrape out insides of squash. It will come out in strings that resemble spaghetti. Top with sauce and parmesan cheese if desired.

Calories 446, Protein 12g, Carbs 69g, Fat 19

Snacks

½ cup of grapes

Calories 31, Protein 0g, Carbs 8g, Fat 0

3oz. Baby Carrots

Calories 35, Protein 1g, Carbs 6g, Fat 0

 

Day 5

Breakfast – Fruit Salad with Yogurt

• 2 cups your choice of fruit (Apples, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, etc.)
• 4 oz. Yogurt

Calories 234, Protein 10g, Carbs 47g, Fat 2g

Lunch – Spaghetti Squash Leftovers

Calories 446, Protein 12g, Carbs 69g, Fat 19

Dinner – Black Bean Veggie Burger *makes 4 patties

• 1 can black beans, drained
• ½ cup Rolled Oats
• ¼ small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. mustard
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mash beans in a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Form into patties and cook for ten minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes.  Place on whole wheat bun and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Patty: 109 calories, 0.5g fat, 17.6g carbohydrates, 5g protein

Snacks

Raw Veggies

2 cups of your choice of raw veggies

Calories 56, Protein 3g, Carbs 11g, Fat 0

Roasted pear topped with 2 oz. yogurt

Preheat oven to 400. Half pear and remove seeds. Place face down on cookie sheet and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft. Top with 2 oz. yogurt.

Calories 178, Protein 5g, Carbs 40g, Fat 2g

 

Day 6

Breakfast  – Breakfast sweet potato

• 1 Sweet potato
• 2 tbsp. Peanut butter
• ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Raisins

Microwave or bake sweet potato until soft. Mix peanut butter and apple sauce.  Cut open and top with apple sauce mixture and remaining ingredients.

Calories 387, Protein 10g, Carbs 56g, Fat 16g

Lunch – Veggie Sandwich on Whole Wheat

• ¼ recipe hummus
• 3 slices of tomato
• 4 slices cucumber
• ½ cup alfalfa sprouts
• ½ bell pepper sliced
• 1 slice red onion
• ½ avocado (optional)
• 2 pieces of whole wheat bread

Spread hummus on bread, top with veggies.

With avocado: Calories 369, Protein 11g, Carbs 42g, Fat 18g

Dinner – Lentil Soup with Side Salad

Soup: * Makes 2 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
• 2 cups vegetable broth broth
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 large carrot, diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
• chopped fresh cilantro to garnish
• 1/2 pinch chili powder

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in the broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Pour half of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Do not puree all of the soup, leave it a little chunky.

Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt add a sprinkle of chili powder to serve.

Calories 351, Protein 14.6g, Carbs 38g, Fat 16.2

Serve with side salad.

Snacks

½ cup Grapes

Calories 31, Protein 0g, Carbs 8g, Fat 0

1 Apple

Calories 72, Protein 0, Carbs 19g, Fat 0

 

Day 7

Breakfast – Mango Lime Smoothie

• ½ cup frozen mango
• 1 cup almond milk
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 banana

Blend and enjoy

Calories 200, Protein 3g, Carbs 45g, Fat 3g

Lunch – Leftover Black Bean Burger with Baked Tortilla Chips

Black bean burger: 109 calories, 0.5g fat, 17.6g carbs, 5g protein

Prepare as you like

To make tortilla chips, cut two corn tortillas into 8 pieces each and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Calories 100, Protein 2g, Carbs 20g, Fat 2g

Dinner – Pesto Penne with side salad*  Serves 2

• 2 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 2 tbsp.  slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons organic vegetable broth
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½  ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about 1/8 cup)
• 4 ounces uncooked whole wheat penne

Place spinach in a microwave-safe bowl; cover bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Cool slightly. Place spinach, almonds, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor. Process until chopped. Add broth, juice, and salt; pulse 5 times. With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute; process until well blended. Scrape into a bowl; stir in half of cheese. Cover with plastic wrap.Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Toss pasta with 1/2 cup pesto. Arrange about 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture in each of 2 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoons remaining pesto and  1/2 teaspoons remaining cheese.

Calories 353, Protein 13g, Carbs 48g, Fat 13g

Snacks

4 oz. yogurt

Calories 114, Protein 8g, Carbs 17g, Fat 2g

8 strawberries

Calories 32, Protein 0, Carbs 1g, Fat