Vegetables should have an important place in your diet because they supply your body with vitamins and minerals. Using vegetables as a base for meals helps you increase your intake of these important foods. If you do not eat meat, knowing how to prepare several vegetable meals can help make mealtimes simple and nutritious. Robin Robertson notes in her book, "One-Dish Vegetarian Meals," that omitting meat and focusing on vegetables is a simple way to improve your health, even if you only do it one or two times a week.
Mushroom Vegetable Stew
Mushrooms are a satisfying and nutritious food that can replace meat but still create a filling meal. Robertson suggests using white mushrooms because they are easy to find and go well with many other ingredients. Heat olive oil in a stockpot and saute crushed garlic and chopped onion, celery and leeks. Add uncooked rice, dried thyme, chicken stock and some white wine, if desired. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until rice is tender. If you are a vegetarian, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Vegetable Stir-Fry
You can prepare a nutritious Asian-inspired meal using only vegetables and leaving the meat out. A vegetable stir-fry should include several types of colorful vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, snow peas, onions and celery. Sue Spitler and Linda R. Yoakam, authors of "1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes," also recommend asparagus as a healthy vegetable to include in stir-fry. Fresh ginger and garlic can enhance the flavor. Start by sauteing garlic and ginger with vegetables in olive oil. Continue sauteing until the vegetables are cooked, but still slightly crispy. Add low-sodium soy sauce or your favorite stir-fry sauce and serve over cooked brown rice.
Vegetable Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is a much-loved meal for many people, but can be prepared with vegetables rather than chicken if you want some meat-free meal options or if you are a vegetarian. Cook whole-wheat noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine onions, carrots, potatoes and celery in a stockpot and add vegetable stock. Bring the vegetables to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. When the vegetables are cooked, add the noodles, salt and pepper and serve hot. You can also add other vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini, spinach or bell peppers.
Vegetable Lasagna
Thinly sliced vegetables can replace lasagna noodles to create a filling and new take on this classic meal. Start by slicing eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash in thin slices. Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with low-sodium tomato sauce. Layer vegetables on top and sprinkle with part-skim mozzarella cheese and minced garlic and onions. Pour on more tomato sauce and continue creating layers until you run out of ingredients. Add some Parmesan cheese, oregano and garlic powder to the top layer and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is bubbly and the vegetables are tender.
References
- "One-Dish Vegetarian Meals"; Robin Robertson; 2008
- "1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes"; Sue Spitler and Linda R. Yoakam; 2006
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