You don't have to eat meat to have a nutritious, healthy meal. Vegetarians may be less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol later in life -- as long as you're eating the right foods. Stick with fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and vegetarian sources of lean protein to cook healthy vegetarian meals. Talk to your doctor before making changes in your diet, especially if you have allergies or health conditions.
When Vegetarian Isn't Healthy
If you eat french fries and potato chips for every meal, you could be putting yourself at risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure, even though you are technically following a vegetarian diet. Additionally, vegetarians and vegans may be less likely to get adequate protein, especially if they rarely eat eggs and cheese. By incorporating legumes and nuts into your vegetarian diet, you can get adequate protein.
Breakfast
Eat breakfast every morning, even if you aren't hungry. This ensures that you get a proper balance of vitamins and protein in your diet. Eat whole-grain cereal with milk and berries to cover all the essential food groups -- fruit and veggies, lean protein and whole grains. Other healthy options include oatmeal with almonds, apples and cinnamon, and whole-grain bread with peanut butter and apple slices. If you're in the mood for a hot side dish, heat a meatless sausage patty in the microwave to eat alongside your meal.
Lunch
Although eating a salad is a healthy vegetarian option for lunch, most restaurant salads only contain veggies. To get adequate nutrition, make your own salad at home. Use spinach or romaine as a base, then add dried cranberries or raisins, veggies like celery and carrots, dried fruit or sliced apples, chickpeas or beans, and almonds or walnuts. Serve with a whole-grain roll. The nuts and beans add protein to the salad without adding meat to your meal.
Dinner
Let your imagination run wild for dinner. Pick out a bunch of your favorite vegetables, like carrots, radishes, bok choy, water chestnuts, snow peas, baby corn, onions or broccoli. Cook tofu squares in a frying pan until browned on all sides -- press on the tofu with a spatula to push out the water as the tofu cooks. Remove the tofu from the pan, then add a clove of chopped garlic and 1 tsp. sesame oil. Pour your favorite stir-fry sauce and the veggies into the pan, then stir until the veggies are coated. Cook on high heat until the veggies are hot, then add the tofu. Add cold bean sprouts and serve the stir-fry with brown rice.
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