Home » Lifestyle » 25 Healthy Vegetarian Plant-Based Recipes
by Amanda Keefer // February 20, 2020 (last updated June 29, 2021)
Whether you’re going full vegetarian or just looking for more plant-based meals to add to your menu, here are 25 of my family’s favorite meatless recipes.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard the term “plant-based”? It’s not just a marketing term, but a movement toward eating more foods from plants. We all know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is key to a healthy lifestyle, and many families are looking to also reduce the amount of meat in their diets.
Enter the plant-based movement.
What foods can you eat on a plant-based diet?
Contrary to popular belief, plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean a strictly vegan or vegetarian diet. It’s sometimes referred to as a flexitarian diet.
It means that your diet consists mainly of foods derived from plants, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and beans/legumes. Meat, eggs and dairy can still be consumed, usually in limited quantities.
The bottom line, a plant-based diet is flexible. No foods are completely off-limits!
What are the benefits of a plant-based diet?
There are definitely health benefits to a plant-based diet, including a diet low in saturated fat, rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (from all those fruits and veggies!). This can lead to a lower risk of conditions like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
Of course, always talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes to discuss how it might affect you.
Plant-based diets are also more sustainable, as it takes less natural resources like water and land use. It can also help lower pollution and slow deforestation.
Will I get enough protein with a plant-based diet?
We get this question a lot. The short answer, yes! Protein isn’t only found in meat and dairy products, there are plenty of plant-based sources of protein including beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Our registered dietitian, Sally, dives deeper into this question and shares 20 meat and nut-free sources of protein here.
25 Healthy Vegetarian Plant-Based Recipes
1
Plant-based sausage, potatoes, onions, peppers and tomatoes cook together in one skillet for a delicious and easy meal your family will love. One skillet also makes for easy clean-up!
2
Sweet Kale Salad gets added crunch from roasted chickpeas and fresh apples for a plant-based dish the whole family will love.
3
Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Turn acorn squash into an edible bowl with this nutrient-packed recipe that's vegetarian-friendly and perfect for when you're craving a comforting meal.
4
Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps
Buffalo chicken goes plant-based with these tasty buffalo cauliflower lettuce wraps. All your favorite buffalo wing flavors - buffalo sauce, celery, carrots and blue cheese - get wrapped up for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
5
Crispy Tofu with Ginger Soy Sauce
This crispy baked tofu paired with a homemade ginger soy sauce is a better-than-takeout dish you can make at home. As an easy plant-based dish, it’s perfect to serve on a salad, over rice or with your favorite combination of vegetables.
6
Coconut Lentil Curry
This creamy coconut lentil curry is the perfect dish to cozy up to but is also light enough to serve as an easy side dish.
7
Vegetarian Bibimbap Bowls with Gochujang Soy Sauce
Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish made of rice, vegetables or kimchi, and a sauce like gochujang, soy sauce or doenjang.
8
Easy Vegetarian Naan Pizzas
Turn Friday night pizza night into a fun activity for your kids with these super easy veggie naan pizzas!
9
Roasted Butternut Squash Sweet Kale Salad
Eat Smart's Sweet Kale Salad gets a fall-inspired spin with the addition of roasted butternut squash, pears and pecans. Perfect for these cooler months!
10
BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich with Avocado Slaw
This BBQ jackfruit sandwich cooks in a homemade BBQ sauce and it topped with a delicious avocado coleslaw.
11
Roasted Chickpea Vegetarian Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are full of healthy grains, veggies and protein, and really simple to make. To save time, roast the chickpeas ahead of time and store in a ziplock bag or sealed container until ready to use.
12
Caramelized onions, tangy goat cheese and peppery arugula are topped with a sweet balsamic glaze for an easy and delicious meal.
13
No-Waste Broccoli Veggie Nuggets
These no-waste, bite-sized veggie nuggets are a simple way to get more veggies onto your child’s plate. Don’t discard those broccoli stems! Turn them into these easy veggie nuggets for a treat your kids will love.
14
Arugula-Quinoa Salad with Fresh Peaches
This arugula and quinoa salad is a flavor-packed dish complete with peppery arugula, protein-packed quinoa, fresh peaches, crunchy pistachios and salty queso fresco. Add some grilled chicken to make this salad more hearty, or serve alongside fish for a light summer meal.
15
Rainbow Buddha Bowl
This bright, fun, and nutrition-packed dinner is super easy to prepare, and even more fun to put together! This recipe calls for a combo of roasted veggies and fresh veggies but choose what you think will go over best with your family.
16
Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza
There’s always an abundance of veggies like tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms during the summer. For the pizza recipe, we grill the veggies first to give them a delicious flavor then add to our pizza along with fresh mozzarella for a meal the whole family loves.
17
Air Fryer Mexican Cauliflower Rice Taquitos
Taquitos are a kid-friendly and easy way to get veggies into kiddos, and this homemade version is no exception. Packed with cauliflower, black beans and corn, kids will happily eat these for lunch, dinner or as a snack.
18
No-Cook Summer Rolls
Get your kids in the kitchen to help prepare these fun, no-cook summer rolls! Kids can pick their favorite veggies while parents roll them up. They keep well in lunchboxes for a fun main dish!
19
Roasted Vegetarian Taco Zucchini Boats
Zucchini boats are a family favorite in our house. This recipe is packed with protein and baked to perfection. For added flavor, top with fresh cilantro and plain Greek yogurt.
20
Wait, there’s eggplant in there? This flavorful combo will have the family focused on a second helping rather than the assortment of veggies. Plus, eggplant is often called brain food due to the many health benefits of the vegetable.
21
Hearty Vegetable Tortellini Soup
You'll love how quick and easy this Hearty Vegetable Tortellini Soup is to make! It's a satisfying vegetarian meal filled with cheese tortellini, diced tomatoes, green beans, spinach and chickpeas.
22
Whether going for a classic comfort food or an elegant dinner, this vegetarian eggplant rollatini is easy to make and a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen.
23
Southwest Black Bean Burgers
These protein-packed black bean burgers have a southwest flair with a flavorful seasoning combo and added veggies. Plus, their freezer-friendly!
24
One-Pot Vegetarian Enchilada Bowls
Get all the tastes of classic enchiladas but in a bowl! Ready in about 30 minutes, this one-pot dish makes getting a home-cooked, healthy meal on the table easy.
25
The sweet and savory filling in this sweet potato and black bean quesadilla makes it the perfect vegetarian dish. Add spinach, peppers, or onions for extra veggies.
