A vegetarian meal plan for the week ahead that focuses on healthy meals, and offers meat and fish options for the meat eaters at the table.
Updated July 26, 2022
The Importance of Meal Planning
I confess, I don't always take the time to meal plan. But I am always more relaxed during the week when I do.
When I specifically have a vegetarian meal plan for the week ahead, I'm more likely to eat the way I really want to. More likely to eat more healthy. More likely to focus on vegetarian meals for weight loss.
Like many, I would love to lose some weight. But without a meal plan, I'm tempted to make a vegetarian pasta dish. Or bake up a frozen pizza. Although both check the vegetarian box, unfortunately neither checks the weight loss box.
When I put together a vegetarian meal plan, I look for dishes that can be put together easily. Ones that don't need a ton of ingredients. And, these days, a vegetarian meal plan for weight loss.
MEAL PLAN
MONDAY: Vegetable Soup with Beans (1st Place Winner)
TUESDAY: Stuffed Acorn Squash
WEDNESDAY: Cauliflower Scampi
THURSDAY: Healthy Mexican Casserole with Quinoa
FRIDAY: Beet Salad Over Lentils with Preserved Lemon
WEEKEND: Hearty Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili with Easy Buttermilk Cornbread
This post may contain affiliate links. The Wimpy Vegetarian participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon. This means I earn money from qualifying purchases, which helps to support the cost of running this blog.
M O N D A Y
Vegetable Soup with Beans (1st place contest winner!)
Get the recipe HERE.
EASILY MADE VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE MEDIUM DIFFICULTY
Prep Tips
There is some chopping involved in this recipe. If you want to save time, purchase onion, celery, carrots and butternut squash that's already chopped. If the butternut squash cubes you see at your market are 1" pieces or bigger, I recommend you cutting them in half.
Make it a Meal
This soup is hearty, thanks to the white beans. However, if you want to add even more protein and bulk to this soup, add quinoa.
Omnivore Tip: Purchase a store-bought cooked chicken, shred it, and stir into the soup.
T U E S D A Y
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Get the recipe HERE.
EASY GLUTEN-FREE
Prep Tips
There are a number of make-ahead options for this dish. 1) Make the cornbread ahead of time; 2) make the stuffing in advance but don't bake it until ready to roast the acorn squash; or 3) make and bake the stuffing in advance, cover and store in the refrigerator, and warm it up when roasting the acorn squash.
Omnivore Tip: Serve this with pork chops for the meat-eaters at the table.
Want more vegetarian and vegan dish ideas? I can help! I have three newsletters for different topics: 1) Weekly Recipes, 2) Vegetarian Meal Plans, and 3) Leaning Vegetarian Tips for helping you to move to a more vegetarian diet. Choose which newsletters are most relevant to your lifestyle, and you'll also get my 5 Secrets to Fuss-Free Dinners!
W E D N E S D A Y
Cauliflower Scampi
Get the recipe HERE.
EASY 30-MINUTE RECIPE VEGAN
Serving Tips
This meal comes together in less than 30 minutes. Serve the cauliflower scampi as a main dish, with or without linguini, or as a side.
Omnivore Tip: Add shrimp or salmon for the fish / meat eaters. Sauté the shrimp in a separate skillet, and add it to the portions of those who want it.
T H U R S D A Y
Healthy Mexican Casserole with Quinoa
Get the recipe HERE.
GLUTEN-FREE EASY
Make-Ahead Tips
This is one of my most popular recipes, and was published in Parade magazine a couple of years ago. I was thrilled! If you make the quinoa and cook the black beans ahead of time, there's only 15 minutes of prep to do before sliding it into the oven.
Make it a Meal
Serve this with cornbread, or course (look in the WEEKEND section below for a link to my favorite go-to recipe), and a big leafy salad with tomatoes and avocado. In fall and winter add some squash to the salad. Or to stay on the Mexican theme, make tomalito, a sweet, moist Mexican cornbread.
You can also serve this casserole with rice.
Omnivore Tip: Almost any kind of meat or fish goes well with this. Shredded BBQ pork is a particularly good match up.
F R I D A Y
Beet Salad Over Lentils with Preserved Lemon
Get the recipe HERE.
GLUTEN FREE VEGAN 30-MINUTE RECIPE
Prep Tips
Roasting the beets in an air fryer is much faster than roasting them in the oven. The air fryer method takes 10 - 15 minutes (depending on the size of the diced beet pieces), but will take 35 - 45 minutes in the oven.
Similarly, cooking the lentils in the Instant Pot will speed their cooking as well, as compared to cooking them on the stove. Green lentils, also known as French lentils take roughly 40 minutes on the stovetop, but only 8 minutes in an electric pressure cooker.
Ingredient Tips
If you can't find preserved lemon, I recommend you pickle the cooked beets. Without a spark of tart both of these provide the dish, the combination of the beets and the lentils is a little more earthy than I recommend.
Make-Ahead Tips
I like to make the vinaigrette with shallots ahead of time, to allow the shallots to macerate.
Make it a Meal
If you have some fresh corn at your markets, it would be the perfect side for this hearty stuffed sweet potato.
Omnivore Tip: Add bacon lardons.
W E E K E N D
Hearty Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili
Get the recipe from the Vanilla and Bean blog HERE.
GLUTEN FREE VEGAN 15-MINUTES OF PREP
Make it a Meal
Serve with cornbread - see the below recipe.
Easy Buttermilk Cornbread
Get the recipe HERE.
EASY
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