Help me pack a happy vegetarian lunch

[Palooka]

I think I am in a serious rut. Do you ever get to that point sometimes that nothing sounds good even if you are hungry? I am there and in a slump.

Today for work I took a PBJ on whole wheat bread, mixed fruit, and those stupid rice cakes thingies.( I like to have a crunch from time to time and save on the calories) Well those just are not good. Yuck.

For the blood sugar in the morning I had a cheese stick.

I'm thinking maybe yogurt and more fruit and nuts. Maybe baby carrots for the crunch would be better. Celery with cream cheese, but would like to cut down on the dairy.

I am sick of cheese and pbj.lol I want a lower calorie but still with good carbs and protein.

Darn, it's hard cooking in my family for so many different diets. I leave myself last I notice and need to work on that.

I'm burnt out on hummus too.

I think this would be a good time to drag the veggie cookbooks out and find my love of all happy recipes.(which gives me the idea of a vegetarian cookbook thread) The problem there is it seems to cost more. I mean it is just mostly me and my daughter that eats this way.

With fall around the corner I am craving potato soup and some crusty bread. I have a few recipes but was wondering if you guys had one that you really loved. Going for less calories if possible. lol

Also time seems like an issue as I was starring at my lonely beans in the pantry.

Thanks for letting me ramble.

TIA

[Ceashels]

Low calorie decent protein non meat snack and lite meal ideas:

I like roasted chickpeas with curry powder. (Open can, drain, rinse load up with curry and spread on a cookie sheet. Let "dry out" in a low oven 250F till you get the desired crunch you want. They are also good with Old Bay seasoning.

What about some falafels or other bean based recipe that can be rolled into bite size balls and baked or fried. Easy to prep ahead and easy to travel with.

If you eat eggs, you could make some pickled ones for a zippy breakfast. I like making a sandwich with a whole wheat english muffin and a pickled egg. Yum!

I've seen a recipe where you take dates and nuts and grind them together to make a paste then roll it in crushed nuts or coconut. High calorie but a treat with lots of fiber and some protein.

PB and celery is another crunch that is easy to pack.

Unfortunately, I do not have a potato soup recipe to share with you so I hope some of the above ideas are something you can springboard from to get out of the food rut.

[Maine Girl]

Do you like Rice and beans How about salsa and guacamole with tortilla chips. Granola with soy yougurt. a muffin with fruit or a fruit smooth. Noodles with various sauces.

[vigilant20]

I get lots of great ideas from seeing what people pack in bentos. People pack much more creative lunches when it's in a little box for some reason

http://flickr.com/groups/vegetarianbento/

[joyofsix]

Hmm, dd is vegetarian. Some of the things she does:
Huge container of cut up carrots, peppers, cukes, celery for crunch. She dips them in ranch, bean dip, salsa.

She cuts up apples, pears, bananas or grapes and sometimes takes caramel or chocolate sauce for dipping.

Tortillas and refrieds rolled up
Popcorn in a baggie
Nuts or seeds for protein, mixes into homemade granola
Pasta or soup in a thermos
Salad in a tupperware, sometimes she breaks up dry ramen noodles into it for crunch.
Muffins like pumpkin or peanut butter or zucchini.
Egg salad or boiled eggs
Pasta salad

HTH

[Patty A]

Here are a couple ideas you might try.

How about a pita, filled with beans or veg type chili. Maybe fill one with tomatoes, cucumber, olives and lettuce. Whatever veggies you like and top with your favorite dressing.

How about a fast pasta salad. Again favorite veggies in with some pasta and topped with dressing of choice.

Maybe some type of Hero sandwich, egg, mustard, soy mayo and pickles.

Maybe some type of zucchini bread or banana bread muffins for a nice grab and run breakfast muffin. Or made in to cupcakes for lunch time treat.

How about a fruit salad, add favorite fruits and a few marshmellows.

Freeze some grapes to add to your drinks, they make great icecubes and add some flavor. Also can freeze apple juice, or other juices to add to punch to give it extra flavor and make a change for the kids.

Granola bars, trail mix, graham crackers spread with jam, frosting to make cookies out of them, or peanut butter. All make yummie snacks.

How about some bread sticks to dip in a homemade sauce, just open a can of tomato sauce, add some spices and dip until you are happy.

Hope this helps.

[madhen]

One of my emergency foods is single-serving yogurts (which you can freeze to extend refrigerator life, then eat when it is half-frozen, kind of slushy, like ice cream) topped with Nature's Path granola (I love the pumpkin and the apple/acai). Easy to pack along. I actually keep yogurt in my little dorm fridge/freezer in the office, and a baggie of granola in my desk.

Some yogurt freezes better than others, so you may have to experiment, but you can get about a dozen different flavours, and the granola gives you that crunch you are looking for. Satisfies my craving for sweets.

[Palooka]

Ceashels, I do love roasted chickpeas but never tried curry powder on them. Thanks. I hate eggs and always have since I was little. The falafels is a great idea with all the beans I have. Thank you.


Vigilant, those bentos are so cool. It is so funny how people can be more creative with those things. I just grab a sack. lol What is that one blog where the mom makes her son a vegan lunch and has cookbooks out? Is it the vegan lunch box or something? I used to read that blog all the time and I can't believe I don't have it bookmarked anymore.

Maine girl, PattyA and joyofsix, the muffin idea is great! I've been thinking about making up a bunch of healthy muffins and freeze them.

Madhem, I've never frozen yogurt before but that is a good idea.

Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone!

I better get to cooking.

[joyofsix]

Vigilant, those bentos are so cool. It is so funny how people can be more creative with those things. I just grab a sack. lol What is that one blog where the mom makes her son a vegan lunch and has cookbooks out? Is it the vegan lunch box or something?
:

http://www.veganlunchbox.blogspot.com

[quiltingmommy]

I don't have my recipe book with me but this recipe (From Veggieboards) is very similar except I don't bother with the buillon they list.

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of oil
1 med. chopped onion
2 large or 3 med. potatoes
3 1/2 cups of water
3 1/2 teaspoons of veggie better than bouillon
2 tablespoons flour mixed with 1/4 cup of water
12 oz of soy or rice milk
bacos (optional)
green onions (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, once heated add onions. Cook until they are tender. Add potatoes, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
Next stir in the water/flour mixture then the rice/soy milk and heat.
Top with green onions/bacos. Add salt and pepper to taste.

One of my favorite lunches is: rice with cilantro and lime juice mixed together. topped with black beans, salsa, a little cheese, maybe some chopped fresh tomatoes heated until nice and warm. sometimes I throw in some kalamata olives (mmmm)

But like you, I get tired of the same old thing...hummus, pb&j, fluffernutter, etc.

[mn30]

We've had a rice/bean/veggie thing with pasta sauce for quite a few months now. (We can eat the same thing everyday for months for lunch that is)

Boil pasta sauce, throw in cooked beans and veggies.
Dish over rice.

Lately we've been having fried rice with beans mixed in topped with cheese.

Marie

[Palooka]

I don't have my recipe book with me but this recipe (From Veggieboards) is very similar except I don't bother with the buillon they list.

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of oil
1 med. chopped onion
2 large or 3 med. potatoes
3 1/2 cups of water
3 1/2 teaspoons of veggie better than bouillon
2 tablespoons flour mixed with 1/4 cup of water
12 oz of soy or rice milk
bacos (optional)
green onions (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, once heated add onions. Cook until they are tender. Add potatoes, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
Next stir in the water/flour mixture then the rice/soy milk and heat.
Top with green onions/bacos. Add salt and pepper to taste.

One of my favorite lunches is: rice with cilantro and lime juice mixed together. topped with black beans, salsa, a little cheese, maybe some chopped fresh tomatoes heated until nice and warm. sometimes I throw in some kalamata olives (mmmm)

But like you, I get tired of the same old thing...hummus, pb&j, fluffernutter, etc.

Thank you. This is perfect. I was wondering how rice milk would work. I love that stuff and can't keep it in my house very long. lol.I have made other things using rice milk instead of milk and it didn't turn out that good. I will give this one a try.

Gotta love veggieboards.

[quiltingmommy]

It's funny, I don't like rice milk. I've tried it in my coffee and in baking but I'm not happy with the taste. Maybe I'm just used to soy milk now.

[Palooka]

Hhmmm, now I love Silk Chocolate soy milk. I just rather use rice milk in things like cereal and some cooking or to mix a protein shake with. I am thinking that some rice milk may be lower in calories and doesn't taste as 'rich' to me.

It is funny though. It took me forever to try rice milk and I have never tried almond milk! Plus this stuff isn't always cheap. One time I did use soy milk in something I made for my husband and he didn't even notice. lol

[redhead68]

For my vegan son, I sometimes pack a small container of edamame for a high protein, mid-morning snack. I also toss some edamame into a bowl of brown rice for a quick, satisfying lunch. My current favorite meal is Quorn crumbles cooked with taco seasoning & tomato sauce folded into a corn tortilla with black beans, lettuce, chopped tomato, avocado, soy cheese, and topped with large quantities of chipotle hot sauce. Yum!