Vegetarian meals for dinner are quick to prepare and easy to clean up. Do your meat-free meal planning around the six basic food groups provided by the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid: fruits, vegetables, calcium-rich foods, protein-rich foods, grains and oils. Cooking with whole grains like brown rice and quinoa provides more vitamins and fiber in your meals than white rice and white flour.
Warm Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
Enjoy a healthy vegetarian meal for dinner with this recipe from "Fitness" magazine. Quinoa cooks more quickly than rice and provides protein and fiber. Cook two cups of quinoa according to the directions on the package. In a large salad bowl, whisk together 5 tbsp. olive oil, one clove of minced garlic, ½ tsp. black pepper, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice and an optional pinch of salt. With a large spoon, stir in one can of chickpeas, ½-cup slivered almonds or walnut pieces, 1/3-cup sliced black olives and 1/3-cup cubed red bell pepper. Create a bed of your favorite salad greens and spoon the mixture over top. Season your dinner with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley and paprika. Eat fruit and yogurt for dessert to balance off the meal.
Mock-Meat Tacos
This Mexican vegetarian meal for dinner, among the Mayo Clinic's healthy recipes, gives you the opportunity to cook with a meat substitute. Serve this dish with a side of brown rice for extra fiber. Buy a package of mock-meat crumbles, made to imitate ground beef. Pour 2 tbsp. olive oil in a sauté pan with a medium onion, minced, and stir until it begins to brown. Add the package of crumbles, with taco seasoning to taste, and sauté until heated. Choose soft or hard taco shells and heat according to package directions. Serve with condiments including sour cream, salsa, chopped scallions, julienned lettuce, diced tomatoes and grated cheese. Savor a scoop of soy or rice ice cream for dessert.
Black-Bean Burgers
Serve black-bean burgers on a whole-grain bun with condiments like cheese, ketchup and mustard. Accompany this vegetarian dinner meal for dinner, suggested by the Helpguide website, with a mixed green salad and few squares of dark chocolate for dessert. Purée a can of black beans with one egg. Place in a bowl and combine with ½-cup bread crumbs, ¼-cup minced red onion or scallions, ¼-cup shredded pepper jack cheese and a pinch each of ground pepper, garlic powder, cumin, cilantro and salt. Form this mixture into patties, brush them with olive oil and place on a non-stick cookie sheet until browned and crisp on both sides.
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