Top Five Borderline Vegetarian Dishes

Weight loss is a struggle, but the biggest struggle is giving up on our favorite meals. It can be time consuming to prepare a meal based off of a Food Network recipe, especially after a long day at work. It is even more difficult when you have a family to feed. You do not want to exhaust yourself and your expenses to prepare separate meals that everyone can enjoy.

We looked at ways we could alternate our favorite dishes with plant-based alternatives that have easy-to-find ingredients, whether in the fridge or a local grocer. These are our five borderline vegetarian meals.

5. Switch Hashbrowns for Zucchini Fritters

Hash browns always make a great addition to the ultimate breakfast trio of eggs, bacon, and toast, but it is hard to commit to healthy eating if you are trying to deprive yourself. Look no further than Zucchini Fritters!

These little green patties are easy to make and can be enjoyed at any occasion. There is no need to shy away from using dairy and meat products, like parmesan and eggs, to make these fritters. Add a dollop of sour cream and your fritters are ready to serve.

Feeling ambitious? Challenge the conventional ingredients used like flour, eggs, and sour cream, instead substituting them for chick pea flour, vegetable oil, and cashew cream.Whether with sour cream or cashew cream, these recipes are both tasty and great additions to any meal or appetizer!

4. Try Bean Meatballs and Squash Noodles.

It is hard to give up Mama’s homemade meatballs, especially when the best part is the meatiness of the ball itself. If you do not want to give up the meat, then change the noodle!

What fascinated us about this recipe is that the noodles are beyond gluten-free. In fact, it is more affordable than any gluten-free pasta you can find, because it is made entirely of squash. This not only serves as a great substitute to your average noodle, but provides you with the right amount of fiber and is rich in Vitamin A and C.




If you do decide to go completely plant-based on this meal, there is the option to switch the meatballs for black beans or lentils. Not only are you conscious of your favourite meal, but you have found a new way to reinvent spaghetti and meatballs in your kitchen!

3. Creamy Vegetable Soups

Our next pick for great plant-based alternatives to our favorite meals are these hearty vegetable soups: Luxurious 7 Vegetable and Cheese Soup and the Roasted Garlic and Tomato. These soups are great to eat for lunch or as a mid-day snack. Eat them with flat bread or multigrain crackers!

Luxurious 7 Vegetable Cheese Soup is a puree of squash, carrots, broccoli and more. Bottle it up and store it in your fridge, so whenever you have a craving, you can warm it up right away!

From its coconut milk creamy texture to its smoky taste, the roasted garlic and tomato soup below is our second pick for creamy soup alternatives Tomato is a good vegetable for people trying to cut back on their sugar in take, because it has a high concentration of alpha-lipoic acid, which turns glucose into energy. 

You can either go with pureed provision-based soup or a thicker tomato based soup, either way your belly will be filled with warmth and delight!

2. Chick Pea and Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

Pizzas are almost everyone’s favorite dish and everyone tries to justify eating them, because they include all the food groups. However, sometimes we are left feeling as if we cheated on ourselves every time we take a bite. We need to change that way of thinking by introducing pizzas acceptable to our new healthy lifestyle. We would like to call these sets of pizzas the weekday pizza, the pizza you can eat all week without worrying about your figure.

The chick pea pizza on the right is made with sweet bbq plum sauce and dried with ranch dressing, but if you want to cut back on the calories, switch the drizzle to tahini instead. The Portobello mushroom pizza may not be your traditional pizza, but it definitely retains those flavors we recognize from the garlic seasoning to the tomato sauce.

These pizzas are nutritional, tasty, and filling. There is no limit to adding more to these pizzas and they allow you to be creative with your meals.

1. Red Lentil and Eggplant Burger

Burgers are the staples of American culture and anyone trying to watch their figure knows how tempting a 100% beef patty and two buns can be. So why deprive yourself when it is not necessary. Here are some healthy alternatives to that classic burger that your model will be proud of. Red lentils are good in fiber and iron, but they also have zero fat, so they digest easily in the body; another great way to boost your metabolism. Dress this burger with caramelized onions or pickled hot peppers to give your burger that extra kick.

We were excited about eggplant burgers, because they are great for retaining flavor and are high in fiber. Eggplant can absorb flavor, so you can really control the amount of salt you put in to it and maybe experiment with other kinds of seasoning.

Starting a new lifestyle change is all about trying new things, whether it is a new exercise or unconventional dish. Each dish will be different at first, but different is good. Different allows us to open ourselves to new possibilities, which is something you will accept once you and your model start shedding those pounds!

Alyssa, From Model My Diet

If you liked any of our choices let us know or visit our Pinterest board.

Sources:
1. Red Lentil Burger: http://www.veganricha.com/2013/03/red-lentil-cauliflower-burger-with.html
   Egg-plant Crunch Burger: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/plant-based-recipes/the-vegan-eggplant-crunchburger/
2. BBQ Chick Pea Pizza: http://keepinitkind.com/bbq-chickpea-flatbread-pizzas-with-jalapeno-plum-bbq-sauce/
    Portabello Mushroom Pizza: http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-portobello-pizzas/#_a5y_p=2030068
3. 7 Vegetable and Cheese Soup: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/09/25/luxurious-7-vegetable-and-cheese-soup/
4. Vegan Meatballs: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/10/30/italian-bean-balls-spaghetti-squash-noodles/
5. Zucchini Fritters: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/zucchini-fritters-with-lemon-basil-cashew-cream/
http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/02/zucchini-fritters/