17 Low Calorie Vegetarian Recipes You’ll Want to Make Today!
Eating a plant based diet has many benefits! Here are 17 low calorie vegetarian recipes that can get you started.
Although I’ve been trying to eat higher protein these days, it’s very possible to eat a plant based diet and still meet your weight loss goals.
Even if you are not 100% vegetarian, having some vegetarian recipes in your arsenal is a great way to balance your diet and stay healthy. A vegetarian diet has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes as well as to be kinder to our environment and climate.
I enjoy experimenting with vegan and vegetarian recipes for variety, to add more veggies in my day, and for the creativity of flavors. If you would like to try a few, here are 17 low calorie vegetarian foods that will compliment your weight loss efforts.
Favorite Vegetarian Meal Ideas
As you will see from this list, there can be a lot of variety, even within low calorie vegetarian meals!
- Curry Quinoa Salad (211 calories) I love curry AND quinoa so this recipe has my mouth watering! Quinoa is a vegetarian staple because it’s a great source of protein. Add pumpkin seeds, almonds, apples, and dried cranberries and you have a flavorful salad full of super foods. Yum!
- Weight Loss Vegetable Soup There is nothing like soup when you want to keep calories low. This soup is loaded with veggies and has only 41 calories per serving. You can also split the batch and do 1/2 with chicken or beef if you have family members who don’t agree on eating vegan (nudge my husband) or you need extra protein for the day.
- Indian Vegetable Curry Again, I love curry. This recipe is full of the comfort foods like potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. It makes for a very satisfying and warm 224 calories.
- Fat burning green smoothie This smoothie is great for after-workout. The banana will revamp your energy, spinach to provide a serving of greens, and pineapple for a sweet taste. If you want to lower the calories (177) skip the chia seeds.
- Chickpeas and grilled veggies (343 calories) Superfoods galore again in this make-ahead meal. You’ll get protein from the quinoa, which is great for vegetarians, and chickpeas and a big vitamin boost from the colorful veggie mix. It is flavored with cumin which is another favorite spice of mine.
- Raw Pad Thai I love pad thai, but generally stay away from it because of the high calorie and sugar content. While there is still a fair amount of sugar, this recipe brings the calorie count down to 154. It uses spiralized zucchini (to keep it vegetarian) noodles which are a favorite of mine.
- Sheet Pan Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry (160 calories) Sheet pan vegetarian recipes are great because they eliminate a lot of dish washing. This one has minimal oil and is sweetened with rice vinegar and honey for a yummy low calorie dish.
- Spinach Rolls (310 calories) This one sounds complicated, but is really simple. It makes a fancy-looking dinner that everyone will love to try! Lots of hidden veggies for picky eaters.
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- Zucchini Fritters . These zucchini fritters are vegan and contain no oil. They are also baked rather than fried. It’s full of yummy spices and makes a burger shaped fritter. You could even put it on a bun as a hamburger substitute.
- Oil-Free Roasted Vegetables Roasted vegetables is a staple at our house. It is a great dish to not only add a lot of veggies to a meal, but use up leftovers. My kids will eat ANY vegetable roasted even if it is one they normally won’t touch. This recipe has a great combination and huge variety of vegetables. Serve it up alone for a vegan meal or grill a steak on the side!
- Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce If you love alfredo sauce, but don’t want the calories; try this vegan recipe with a cauliflower base. It has only 78 calories in a whole cup. You could toss it over veggies or add pasta.
- Fast Whole-wheat Pizza Dough Here is another recipe for fans of Italian food! Vegan and whole food eaters will love the clean ingredients. The recipe is for the crust, then you can top your pizza however you like.
- Spicy Breakfast Tacos You can have two of these vegan tacos for under 300 calories. That is a lot less than my favorite breakfast burrito! This breakfast will fill you up and provide 15g of protein.
- Low calorie, Low carb Burrito Bowl If you like cauliflower rice, you must try this burrito bowl recipe. Burrito bowls are so filling and make great leftovers. Your family can add their own toppings so everyone gets a meal they love.
- Easy Zucchini Ravioli You can never have too many zucchini recipes during garden season. Turn a high-calorie ravioli dish into 100 delicious calories by substituting the pasta with zucchini noodles, using fat-free ricotta, and a sugar free bottled marinara.
- Chili Lime Strawberries with Cucumber This is a great recipe for hot summer days. It makes a great snack or you can use it for a simple lunch-time salad. Strawberries and cucumber make a great combination and the tajin seasoning is a fun addition to your spice cupboard.
- Low-Calorie Meat-Free Tacos Here is a twist on the traditional ground beef taco. Substitute your meat for chopped cauliflower and mushrooms. They make a great main dish. Serve with a salad to get a really big dose of vegetables. Add beans to the taco for an extra boost of protein.
Which low calorie Vegetarian recipe are you going to try this week? Let us know what your favorites are.
