“What’s for dinner?”
I’m not sure why, but I dread this question each and every night. It’s not that I don’t like cooking – quite the opposite, really. But it’s more that I find it exhausting to try to come up with unique and creative ideas for dinners night after night after night. I know a lot of you struggle with the same thing.
I’m not a meal planner. I never head to the grocery store with a list of recipes or ideas in my head. Instead, I go with a short list of items we are out of, and from there I see what is in season and what’s on sale. Then I get it all home and try my best to make sense of it.
I’m often asked about meal planning and how to build nutritious and filling vegetarian dinners. So I thought I’d walk you through what goes on in my head – and my kitchen – on most nights.
The thing I hear most often from people who are just starting out as vegetarian is that they end up eating exactly what they ate before – minus the meat. I think this happens because most people enter into cooking focused on protein. In culinary school, we always had to “pick our proteins” first, and then work our meals around that. I think this is something easily done by a seasoned vegetarian, but when you’re just starting out and still have little knowledge of what veggie proteins even exist, this makes meal planning feel overwhelming (and is a reason why many people give up after a such a short time!).
Now don’t get me wrong, protein is important and of course you still want it, but I actually craft my meals centered around the carbs. I think we can all agree – vegetarians and meat eaters alike – that carbs are both delicious and essential. For me, it’s much easier to think in terms of “do I want pasta or potatoes? Millet or rice?” – and then I continue to build the meal from there.
Let’s start with an example. Last night Casey was in the mood for pasta. I surveyed the pantry and narrowed it down to gnocchi, spaghetti, or penne. With gnocchi selected, from there I decided we’d do basic marinara sauce and then bulked it up with additional frozen vegetables and peas. Cheap, simple, and fast – but a complete meal nonetheless.
Pasta is easy though, so here’s another example. We had a bag of fingerling potatoes leftover from our CSA haul, so I chopped them up and roasted them for dinner a few nights ago. With the potatoes cooking in the oven, I looked for complimentary and nutritious options to round out our plates.
I always try to fill at least 50% of our plates with vegetables. Sometimes this means a big salad or pile of green beans. Other times this means a big mound of starchy potatoes with a small side of greens. It all evens itself out over time. On this particular night, we balanced our potatoes with a sauté of zucchini and field roast veggie sausage. Starch, veggies, and protein – all on one plate.
Back to my original point about the carbs. If I know we are in the mood for some sort of noodles, I try to make sure we have more than just a bowl of carbs and sauce. Edamame and peas are great ways to add protein to pasta dishes and noodle salads.
But for all this pasta talk, most of the time we actually start each meal by choosing a grain. If we’re having brown or mixed rice, I’ll try to pair that with tofu or lentils, along with a heaping helping of roasted veggies or something like raw kale salad. I aim to get a variety of colors on the plate!
If the grain of choice for the night is quinoa, I don’t worry about any additional protein sources – quinoa serves double duty (it’s source of complete protein on its own!).
Vegetarian meals tend to be lower in calories than their meaty counterparts, which is why I think it’s easier for me to focus my meals around more calorie-dense carbs. The other way I build meals is by focusing on one particular ingredient – something special I picked up at the market, or something that looks like it needs to be used up soon.
If I have a big head of purple cabbage in the fridge, I start with that. Maybe I want to warm it with apples. Or maybe I should leave it raw and make an Asian slaw. Either way, it’s a starting point, and the rest of the meal can develop from there.
Of course this rule doesn’t apply to every meal. There are always going to be exceptions – like nights where we eat soups and salads – but most of the time this is how we build our dinners.
I know going meatless can sometimes seem overwhelming, particularly at the very beginning. It seems like there is less to choose from, and it can make meal planning feel daunting. In my personal experience with going vegetarian, even though I technically have fewer protein options available, I eat a much more diverse and balanced diet now than ever before.
What used to be chicken or fish? – has turned into tofu, lentils, beans, quinoa, grains, salads? – our options feel endless. Hopefully the next time you feel stuck answering “what’s for dinner?” these building blocks can help to get a satisfying and delicious meal on the table.
78 Comments so far
Leave a comment
I love this advice. Making vegetarian meals doesn’t have to be nearly as complicated as most people try to make it.
[Reply]
Great post. I often have similar conversations with people about how our eating changed when we became vegetarians a few years ago. I don’t feel that we “gave up” very much because, as you said, we now eat so much more variety than we used to. What we eat has definitely changed, and how we build meals has as well (our default used to be salmon + rice + veg), but we are spoiled for choice as vegetarians!
[Reply]
This is awesome. I am not a vegetarian, but I am a registered dietitian, and this will definitely help me make suggestions to and talk about healthy options with patients and clients who are vegetarian. Thank you for sharing this thought process.
[Reply]
I’ve been trying to develop my own recipes lately and this is perfect – thank you!
[Reply]
Do you ever worry about getting too much soy each week? Or do you feel like it balances out with the nuts, quinoa and other proteins you eat?
[Reply]
Although we aren’t Vegetarians (we only eat fish and fowl no pork or beef), it does get so daunting at times. Especially when society has this idea of dinner being meat, starch and veggies. It’s hard to break the monotony, so I am very grateful for this post! You’ve already given me several ideas for dinner this week!
[Reply]
I always find it interesting what others are preparing for their families. I have to menu plan for 2 weeks and then write my grocery list according to that…when I had only 1 child it was easy to just wing it…but with 4 going on 7 children I have to plan out several weeks in advance. Plus, I’m a list writer and I just the love process of writing out my menu’s and lists!
[Reply]
i’m not a vegetarian but i have to say that i love to utilize half the plate for veggies only – if not more!
[Reply]
Really enjoyed this post…just knowing how you think things through, gives me a different approach to meals. I make it so difficult that it takes all the joy out of what I like doing in the first place!! Thank you…enjoy your weekend!!!
[Reply]
I love hearing how people come up with their meals. I hate meal planning too, but unfortunately, when I don’t do it, I end up eating refried beans or frozen pizza.
[Reply]
Thanks for the great post! I have been in a serious dinner rut this week…aka salads with tofu every night. Now i’m inspired to create something a little more interesting.
[Reply]
Thank you for sharing your thought process planning meals. I recently eliminated dairy and wheat from my diet and have had to change the way I think about meal planning, too. Do you have suggestions or a thought process when you go for a snack, too?
[Reply]
Your dinners look great! When I’m on top of things, my dinners look like yours, but sometimes it’s just PB on bread and baby carrots. This definitely got me drooling and thinking, though!
[Reply]
I absolutely adore eating, and I don’t mind cooking, but “What’s for dinner?!” is my most dreaded question by far. I do go to the store with a menu—my husband supports nine people on one income, so this is one way that I save money by buying only what I need—but ever since I began planning meals 12 years ago, I’ve been planning them around the carbs too. I can even vary the proteins I add (sometimes tofu, sometimes “chikn”, sometimes “sausage” or edamame or beans) to a single dish, but I don’t want to have potatoes every night or pasta three nights in a row, so I vary the carbs. The rest comes together naturally. :)
[Reply]
I have to confess, I focus on the protein first and let the other items fall into place when planning meals. I like your thought process of carbs first and then the extras. My husband complains that we always eat the same thing each week. Maybe this next week I’ll try thinking differently about meals and new ideas will come to me!
[Reply]
Wonderful post! I tend to do my cooking exactly the same way–Figure out what kind of carby thing I want, and then find whatever else (protein and veggies) will go well with it. Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
Great post! We do the same thing! People think we eat boring food but I find the variety of our food is even bigger being a vegetarian!
[Reply]
great post! i love how your meals are very simple but also interesting at the same time.
[Reply]
This was SUCH a helpful post! I have been a vegetarian for 2 years and still struggle with changing my mind set to all the options of what I can eat instead of what I can’t eat. Thank you for explaining your process!
[Reply]
I’m not a vegetarian but I eat mostly veg. I would say 75% of my meals are meat-free. It’s amazing to me how many people have the mentality that veggies = sides, and a “real” meal has to have meat. Thank for this post – this is a great way to approach vegetarian cooking!
[Reply]
We aren’t vegetarian but I really like your ideas with all the grains. I’ve been wanting to get away from meat proteins so much because of our girls and trying to move to a healthier eating pattern for our family so this post is really great. I know it sounds so simple but I never thought of adding extra veggies to marinara sauce!
[Reply]
Great post! I plan our meals a week at a time, and instead of starting with the “protein” or the “carb,” I always start with the “theme” of food. I almost always have one tex-mex inspired dish, one asian inspired dish and one comfort-inspired dish each week. (Comfort is for Fridays, the day I most want to pop in a pre-assmebled homemade casserole and crash).
For mexican I might have tostadas with toasted tortillas, fat free refried beans and tomato/veggie toppings, or a bowl of quinoa with black beans, corn and spices.
Starting with the theme is a fun way to satisfy my cravings.
Other fun themes I do frequently are middle eastern, italian, everything-on-the-grill, etc.
[Reply]
Hi Emily I am so happy that you are posting more often again. I’m sure its difficult with Cullen but we miss you!
[Reply]
Very helpful post! I would LOVE to see you do a video of your cooking process, since you’re a pro! I always feel like I make everything more complicated than it should be when cooking.
[Reply]
I echo all the same sentiments as the previous commenters… very helpful post! I’ve been a vegetarian for almost two years and I’m just now feeling confident in the kitchen. Tips are always appreciated, which is why I love blogs like yours so much. Have a great weekend with your precious family!
[Reply]
I love this post!
Often times when I can’t figure out what to have for dinner and have an item in mind (tofu, rice, whatever it may be) I come to your site or go to recipage.com and search it to get some ideas :o)
I still haven’t tried millet and REALLY want to – what would be a first good recipe to try with that?
[Reply]
This is wonderful Emily! I love how you emphasized the health benefits and all the OPTIONS of vegetarian cooking!
[Reply]
I pretty much always start with carbs also. A lot of times when I’m preparing meals for work I’m asking myself, “which grain cooks in the amount of time that I have to get ready??”
But, yes, there is definitely a very different formula to veg cooking than to standard cooking. It took me a while to get used to it, but luckily when I was starting out, I already had been reading some veg blogs for quite a while. Blogs make life so much easier! :)
[Reply]
Awesome post! Very helpful..I am some what of a new vegetarian and actually have started thinking the same way. Carbs first and then the veg and last the protien to compliment the rest of the meal.
[Reply]
great post! you make it seem much less intimidating
[Reply]
I really like how you focus on good carbohydrates and vegetables! It gets annoying when people assume that vegetarians don’t get enough protein, when actually, most people get too much.
[Reply]
Great post Emily! I am a vegetarian and this is a great way to plan meals. :)
[Reply]
Thank you, thank you for this incredibly helpful post! I’ve been a vegetarian for almost two years, and I still struggle with creative meals. My husband is not vegetarian (and happens to be the chef in our house), so we try really hard to create meals that he will enjoy and be satisfied with, too. This is so informative and gives me inspiration and confidence for new meals!
[Reply]
although I am not a vegetarian this is really helpful. I struggle all the time with coming up with new and creative dinners. I get stuck in ruts making the same things every week!
[Reply]
Love your idea of making 50% of the plate vegetables. That’s a good goal to strive towards.
Your tips are very helpful, but I know myself and I’m terrible coming up with meals on the spot. I also dislike weekly meal planning, so for the past two months, I’ve done a monthly meal plan. I’m sold; we haven’t had a mac’n'cheese night since!
[Reply]
seems like you are very creative in the kitchen with putting meals together. i loved all the ideas you gave!
[Reply]
I am vegetarian ,my husband and son are not. I plan meals that can easily work for us all. Last night I served roasted peppers, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, and a large spinach salad. I cooked meatballs for the guys and a big pot of spaghetti and marinara sauce. Everyone took what they liked to create their meal. My husband often skips meat . They have both grown to love my vegetarian enchiladas and casseroles. I think this has helped them to see that vegetarian foods are yummy too. We have many more meat free meals now that they see the options are so varied. Everyone eats many more grains than before. We all love quinoa. Beans and brown rice are on the menu at least once a week and nobody misses the meat. I love your blog and use your recipes often. Thx for all the effort you put into your work.
[Reply]
I like this glimpse into your meal planning! I choose my meals before I shop, otherwise I end up with a hodgepodge that I don’t know what to do with.*
[Reply]
I plan my meals exactly the same way: first the starch (usually grain), then the protien. Veggies are a given but I usually use whatever needs to be eaten soonest from my csa box.
It’s goo to hear that I plan my meals like a culinary school grad : )
[Reply]
I always prepare a weekly menu but mainly because I I’m scared I won’t be able to think of something to make. You have shown me that it’s possible! I really need to look at what might be going bad and use that up before I make a dish off my list. Thank you for the confidence!
[Reply]
Are there many people out there who regularly use Vegetarian protein sources (Quinoa, Edammame, Tofu, Seitan, Tempeh, Beans, Soy etc) but still eat meat and animal products?
Myself and my husband do, but I can’t begin to say how many times our diet has confused people. It’s perfectly normal in this house to eat all those foods mentioned above without a bite of meat for 4 days straight and then toss some steaks on the grill. I think the most puzzled look I’ve seen is when I served something that contained both tofu and meat.
I totally understand the decision to be Vegetarian and I did it myself for awhile, which is how I became familiar with all these food options, but what puzzles me are people who eat meat and think that meat alternatives are only for Vegetarians. My response is always, “Well, it’s just food. Why can’t I eat both?” The response is “Ummmmmm, weellllll. I guess I’ve never thought about it before.”
I’ve been doing my best to introduce my friends and family to these food options because they add great variety and are so healthful. I try to get them to realize that even if they have no interest in giving up meat that’s no reason to pass on a great blackened tofu!
Speaking of which dinner is calling. Black Bean Burgers and Asparagus Spears on the grill tonight!
[Reply]
Michelle Reply:
June 16th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
I can totally relate to this. I am not a vegetarian by any means, but my fiance and I eat meatless dinners anywhere from 3-5 nights a week. We regularly use quinoa, beans, tempeh, lentils, etc. for meals. I think it’s nice to rely on meat less (and cheaper!), but our friends are often baffled as to why we go out of our way to eat vegetarian dinners when we are not vegetarians. Like you said, food is food — and eating this way can give meat eaters even more variety!
[Reply]
Robin Reply:
June 18th, 2012 at 7:15 am
As a future registered dietitian, I too, loved this post! Not only did you touch on the creative side of the process, but a balanced, nutritious approach as well. Like several other commenters said, ‘meatless Mondays’ or just diversifying our palate is good for everyone! Thank you so much :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Thanks Robin!
[Reply]
Leah Reply:
June 25th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Danielle, I don’t think it is strange at all. We often eat vegetarian for breakfast and lunch. Sometimes for dinner. We’re ethical carnivores though…so any meat we eat is local, organic, humanely raised. :)
Variety is the spice of life and what you do is very similar to how we do things in my house. :)
[Reply]
great post! we eat 75% meatless/25% animal protein (i count eggs here) and it is wonderful to get new perspectives! I can not have any dairy for the sake of the baby, so i have been struggling lately and your post gives me a fresh starting point. thank you!
[Reply]
Sarah Reply:
June 17th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Oh I eat like this too, however I just brought dairy back in while I’m pregnant since I had cravings for full fat yogurt, but I have noticed that many women who breastfeed go off dairy, would love to know why you cant have dairy?
[Reply]
irina Reply:
June 18th, 2012 at 12:23 am
dairy is one of the common allergens for babies, my little girl turned out to be allergic to all dairy products so I had to cut them out. In little babies allergy commonly manifests itself via poop – it will get mucus-y, etc. my daughter is breastfed, so she reacts to my food choices, but same type of allergy can happen with the cow milk based formula. there are a lot of resources out there if you observe not normal poops and suspect allergy! good luck with you pregnancy and congratulations!!!
[Reply]
Sarah Reply:
June 18th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
That’s interesting, thanks for that! :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
A lot of babies have dairy allergies. Not all, but many.
[Reply]
This is so helpful and makes a lot of sense! Thanks for the great guide :)
[Reply]
This is a wonderful post! Thank you for all the advice!
[Reply]
Thank you for breaking this down for us! I, too, still always focus on building around the protein, but this makes so much more sense. I’ve been struggling with something delicious to make for Father’s Day that will have our meat-eaters drooling. Focusing on grains first, I think I can do it! Oh, and scrolling through your Recipage … that will help ;)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Yes to Recipage! We do the same thing here!
[Reply]
Love this post. I always get stuck in a rut with meals and seeing new ideas and strategies helps create something new for dinner.
[Reply]
Thank you Emily for the simple basics, not for me so much (vegan 7 years) but explaining to all my carn friends. I’m presently with my family in CO for my fathers memorial service, the only vegetarian or vegan in a family of 20 (present). Interesting no one would insider a plant based diet, what no meat, no way! Fortinately I’ve had from Glenwood Springsto Boulder wonderful roasted veggie dinner dishes, the other meals easy. Being gluten and sugar-free too makes it additionally challenging for others and me sometimes, but thank God I’ve always loved plant-based foods. I miss seeing Cullen today!
[Reply]
I hate repeating, but can’t resist letting u know what a terrific posting this is.
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Thanks Emma!
[Reply]
I’m currently in the process of switching to vegetarianism for various reasons and this is a big help! I’m struggling to figure out how to switch my meat based meals to something meatless. Hopefully it’ll become easier as I go on.
[Reply]
This is SUCH a helpful post, even for a non-vegetarian like me. I have the hardest time coming up with something interesting to eat, and I really appreciate your suggestions. Thanks!
[Reply]
Emily- 2 quick questions!
Why do you use the Rapunzel vegan bouillon cubes as opposed to veggie broth in your recently posted Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Miso Dressing recipe please? And can this recipe be halved?
Thank you so much.
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
You could definitely use veggie broth instead. I just like the flavor from the cubes. And it can definitely be halved!
[Reply]
Thank you so much for a wonderful post. I have a couple questions to ask you about specific ingredients in many many of your recipes that i am dying to try and would be so grateful if you could answer!
1) do you use plain sesame oil or toasted sesame oil?
2) what kind of “coarse grain mustard” do you use?
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Hi Jennifer! Sorry for the delay.
1. Toasted sesame oil
2. Trader Joe’s mustard!
Hope that helps. :)
[Reply]
great post! i’m not a meal planner either….i like to stand in front of the fridge, survey the veg situation, and go from there.
[Reply]
Emily, this is a great post! I really enjoy reading how other home cooks plan their meals. It seems like I always have a ton of seasonal produce so I start with the veggies first, since they are more perishable than my pantry options. From there I choose grains, proteins, and seasoning. Although sometimes Kyle and I play this fun game: spin the globe and choose a country or continent, then make a meal inspired by that place. That one works well for when you have the chef’s equivalent to writer’s block!
[Reply]
Love this post! I completely agree that vegetarian meals don’t have to be boring. After all, which are there more of–meats or vegetables? That’s not vegetarian boasting; it’s just factual :)
[Reply]
I gave up meat completely for Lent and haven’t gone back. I am an anal meal planner, so I think that in a way has made it easier since I’ve done some research since transitioning.
[Reply]
I feel like the most daunting/confusing thing about cooking is the use of herbs/spices. And how to use them to make vegetarian meals or vegetables taste better!
[Reply]
I just love these posts, this is exactly how I eat the only difference is I don’t really worry about complete protein combination(rice & bean) that a lot of vegetarians do, new research has thrown that idea out the window since the body stores the amino acids and uses them when needed, as long as your eating a wide variety of food you’ll always get enough of all the amino acids, and if not your body will tell you by craving for whatever it needs, using the body’s wisdom is so important.
[Reply]
Hi Emily. I just started reading your blog and love the recipes on here. Thanks heaps for the tip of building vegetarian meals.
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
June 19th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Welcome, Janet!
[Reply]
I have been planning our meals for several years now. I think I would feel lost every night without a plan. I think it saves me $ too. Every Sunday I plan dinner for Sun-Thurs and buy only what I need (having a well stock pantry helps). This way I can make sure we are eating a good variety and can think during the week about things that sound good, or recipes I see, and have an idea of what we can have the following week. I plan lunches too, so I am never stuck at work with nothing to eat and don’t go out to lunch often. It’s what works for me!
[Reply]
My go-to meal almost always involves a bean of some sort. Quick and easy, the meal can come together relatively quickly. My favorite kind!
[Reply]
Thanks for this great post. I am trying to cook more meatless meals and reading this was great inspiration. I love your portabella top with greens. That will be my next attempt.
[Reply]
Thanks for such a great post!
I’m suddenly realizing this is how I do my dinner planning too! I struggle with meal planning from the protein perspective because I don’t like to eat a lot of animal protein, but my husband feels it must be in every meal. So I’m always bulking up my carb “sides” so I can just serve him the meat and make the side my entree.
[Reply]
[...] How to build vegetarian meals. [...]
[...] a lot more meal planning and prepping that I’m used to. I’ve shared before that I’m not much of a meal planner. I usually wing it at stores and markets based on what is on sale or in [...]
Leave a comment