Vegetarian Meals To Live Off Of

I personally follow a vegetarian diet and have found a few tips and tricks that have helped me stay on track. This article has some pieces of information I hope will persuade you to start living a more plant-based lifestyle.

WARNING! If not properly planned, vegetarian and vegan diets can cause a range of health issues and deficiencies.

“I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.” ― Leonardo Da Vinci

When it comes to diets such as the tapeworm and military diet, you can be putting your health at risk if not done correctly. One diet that has been linked to a range of health benefits is a plant-based diet. Although many people think a plant based diet means veganism, that is a common misconception. According to Harvard Health Publishing a plant-based diet means “you are proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.”

Eating plant-based may seem to be more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Getting things like rice, lentils and oats in bulk will save you a ton of money.

My shopping List

A vegetarian shopping list should contain a variety of healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole grains.

Upton’s Naturals

Upton's is a Chicago based company — ask about the full box discount (I believe its 6) at Whole Foods. It ends up being about $25 and you essentially get one item for free by buying in bulk. If that seems like a lot of money— think about it like this: you get 24 servings of “meat” for about 25 dollars. These can also be frozen to use for later.

The Italian crumbles and chorizo are my favorite!

Banza or Barilla Pasta

Banza pasta has become one of my favorite meals when I need some extra protein. No, it is not as good as just regular white pasta, but when you slather a good red sauce on it, the pasta itself doesn't really matter anyway! My favorite shape is the penne— if you like your pasta super al dente you wont like this; it needs to be cooked longer and made to be softer because it’s chickpeas.

Vegan Cheese

There are a lot of vegan cheese options out there. The best ones I have found come from trader Joes. The mozzarella and soy blend cheeses taste the best, are the best bang for your buck and have the most protein.

Mission Protein Tortilla

These are more on the expensive side, however they are a life-savor for me and something I ALWAYS have in my kitchen. They have 7 grams of protein in each tortilla! I use these for tacos every week and they are a perfect add to any pantry.

Red Lentils

Getting red lentils in bulk at Whole Foods is the way to go. Red lentils are an essential buy for anyone wanting to eat plant-based! ¼ of a cup of lentils has 13 grams of protein!! They are perfect in soups, on salads and so much more!

Gardein Beefless Ground Beef

This is a good alternative to the Upton's chorizo for tacos, meat sauces and chili.

There are 9 grams of protein per serving (I usually have two servings).

Kodiak Pancake mix

Although this is not actually vegan it contains such a small amount of milk/whey protein that it has never bothered my stomach. The dark chocolate and buttermilk mixes are my favorite. There are 14g of protein in one serving!

Ghost Vegan Protein Pancake batter

Finding a vegan protein powder that I actually enjoyed has been a CHALLENGE. After falling victim to ordering the vegan protein Instagram models claimed was 'the best" time and time again, I decided to go on a hunt for the best vegan protein powder. This is IT! Ghost's vegan powder is smooth, not chalky and jam packed with flavor.

Edensoy Soy Milk

This is the best soy milk I have found. It’s not very thick and doesn’t have much of a flavor unlike other soy milks. it is perfect for cereal or to pour in your morning coffee!

Think Thin Oatmeal

This is just one example of oatmeal you could get. It’s pretty cheap and the vanilla flavor is so good. Plus, it already has 10g of protein!

Veggie Burgers

Trader Joe's are the best veggie burgers in terms of protein that I have found. I hate to break it to people, but if you want a burger that tastes like a burger you aren’t going to find it eating vegetables With that being said, these are WAY better for you than red meat and have a ton of veggies packed in.

Vegan Meal Plan

Meal 1= 41 g of protein

Vegan Pasta Meal

One serving Banza=14g protein

One serving Uptons Italian Sausage= 15g of protein

Two servings Soy Cheese=12g of protein

Red Sauce

Meal 2= 48 g of protein

Tacos/Taco Bowl

One serving Red Lentils= 13g

Ground beef= 9g

Soy cheese= 12g

2 tortillas= 14g

Veggies

Guacamole

Meal 3= 29 g of protein

Pancake/waffle

One serving kodiak mix= 14g

Half a serving of ghost= 10g

Half a serving of milk= 5g

Blueberries

Meal 4= 39g of protein

Oatmeal

Oatmeal= 10g

Serving of ghost protein= 20g

Soymilk= 9g

Berries

Meal 5= 41g of protein

Mini Pizzas

Two Tortillas= 14g of protein

Red Sauce

Two Serving Soy Cheese= 12g

One Serving Upton’s Italian Sausage= 15g

Meal 6=35 g

Meal 6=35 g of protein

Veggie Burger

Bun

Lettuce

Tomato

Grilled onion

Two servings Soy cheese= 12 g

Burger= 23 g