Move over meat! It’s all about plants for me! I switched to a vegetarian lifestyle over 3 years ago while in England. Due to the home-cooked meals I was eating and items at the markets labeled vegetarian, I had easier control over what I was eating. When I returned home, it was harder to keep up with it and, to feed myself, I resorted to prepackaged and processed foods. Part of my New Years resolutions was to start cooking more whole meals rather than just purchasing processed foods and heating them up.

My freezer became stocked up with food I could throw in the microwave to feed myself. It was rare I’d google a recipe to make from scratch. I’ve come to realize that all that food is unhealthy – no matter how great it tastes – and makes me hungry soon after eating. Now, I’m determined to eat more whole foods and cook my heart out.

For my vegetarian lifestyle, I eat eggs but prefer to not drink/eat cow’s milk, although I am not strict about the milk and often don’t care.

Here’s what I eat in a day at home:

breakfast

I love eggs! They’re quick, easy, and there’re so many ways to prepare them. Boiled, fried, scrambled…so yummy! I prefer organic, free-range brown eggs, or whatever brown eggs are available. To go with my eggs, I like to add a slice or two of whole grain bread, toasted, with some cut up strawberries (or whatever fruit is available) and a few slices of avocado. I used to hate it, but I’m an avocado person now!

In my scrambled eggs, I like to add cheddar cheese, parsley (dried, not fresh), salt, and pepper, with a dash of whole milk. And, of course, slathered in ketchup. (Are you a yay or nay for ketchup-covered eggs?) I fry eggs with just a bit of pepper, and add pepper and paprika to eggs I’ve boiled.

The Oroweat multi-grain bread is my fave. It’s tree nut/peanut free and I’m a sucker for the sesame seeds! As a general self rule, though, I always like to reach for whatever whole grain/whole wheat bread is available.

lunch

I’m not big on lunch. I don’t bother to make a full meal. Sometimes I’ll throw random things on a plate like whatever fruit and veggies are available with some cheese. Sort of like a mini charcuterie/cheese board. Sometimes, I eat leftovers which usually consists of either pasta or rice.

When I don’t want either, I make the simplest meal on planet Earth. A golden potato thrown in the microwave with Caesar salad (made vegetarian, of course). If I’m feeling oh, so fancy, I’ll steam some cauliflower for the potato or roast some chickpeas for the salad.

If you’re vegetarian (or vegan!) or want an alternative, I use Follow Your Heart’s organic vegan Caesar dressing and their vegan parmesan cheese. You can usually find these at Whole Foods. Also, they’re peanut/tree nut allergy friendly!

If you aren’t sure how to steam veggies (because I still google how to boil eggs), I got you:

1. Grab a pot, put in your veggies, and add water so it covers the veggies. Put lid on, bring water to a boil.
2. Veggies are done when a fork can easily go through them, or until your desired texture.
3. Season as you please and serve!

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dinner

I cook dinner for myself around 3 – 4 nights a week and make sure at least one or two of those meals is made in abundance for leftovers to eat either for lunch or dinner (so, cooking an extra ~3 servings; lasagna and rice are pretty great for this). About once a week I will throw something in the microwave or on the stove when I don’t feel like actually cooking, which is either vegan chicken nuggets slathered in buffalo or barbeque sauce or vegan meatballs in some pasta sauce.

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snacks

Okay, so not everything I eat is healthy or whole, let’s be honest. I love to eat nearly a whole bag of hot chips, fill up on coffee, and slather vanilla ice cream in chocolate sauce.

I don’t really snack throughout the day, but when I do, I try to make a concious effort of reaching for the “healthier” option. Here are some examples:

1. VeggieStraws, the hot ones are great, too
2. whole-grain bread, sunbutter spread (peanut/tree nut allergy friendly!) + sliced bananas
3. hardboiled eggs, peppered + with paprika
4. bowl of fruit (clementines, strawberries, bananas, whatever I have on hand)
5. Cheerios, without milk (I use Silk Soy), like plain, dried Cheerios you’d feed a toddler as a snack

So, there you have it! That’s what I eat in a day as a vegetarian.

And before we go, I just want to point out that being vegetarian or vegan doesn’t automatically mean healthy. Like I said, sometimes I eat whole bags of chips, have way too much ice cream, and a bit too much coffee. Once upon a time, all I ate was processed food. Vegetarianism and veganism require balanced meals, like with any other dietary lifestyle.

Perhaps you wanted a look into a vegetarian lifestyle, or maybe you just want to do some meat-free Mondays, or maybe you just really wanted to know what I eat. Whichever your poison, I’m glad you came.

Comment your go-to meals and snacks. I’d love to try!