Vegetarians also want ways that they can stay healthy when they don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal. Here are some ideas for quick vegetarian lunch ideas.

One challenge for vegetarians is getting enough protein in their diet. When meat is absent, it is more important to choose food staples that will provide enough to sustain the body’s daily needs.

Lunch can be hard to come by, especially on a busy schedule. Many resort to fast food choices or skipping lunch in favor of a snack from the vending machine. Even though these options may be technically vegetarian, they can contain a lot of excess calories and fat that no one needs.

Here are some tips for preparing quick vegetarian meals.

Plan ahead – Make sure that your pantry is stocked with all the staples that you need to make as many different meals as you need to provide lunch for the entire week.

Prepare food – If you can get it ready ahead of time, prepare whatever needs to be cooked so it will cut down on what you have to do to get ready each day. This can include chopping vegetables, making pizza crusts or tortillas, slicing fruit, cooking beans or rice.

Following are some quick lunch ideas, both hot and cold:

Cold Lunch Ideas

* Veggie sub – A foot long sub can be made on Sunday and cut up in three or four pieces for lunchtime meals. Try Portobello mushrooms, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes and a low-calorie mayonnaise. Carry the mayonnaise in a small container to be applied just before you eat.

* Pasta salad – Pasta makes a filling and quick meal anytime. Try whole wheat pasta to maximize your intake of whole grains. Add, black and/or green olives, celery, mushrooms, pimento, parmesan cheese and toss with Italian dressing for a zesty quick lunch. Spoon it into lunch-size containers for easy transport. Since it is made cold, you can eat it on the run.

* Hummus and chips – You may want something light one day for lunch. You can buy hummus or make your own. Grind your own chickpeas; add healthy oil and flavoring to get just the taste you want. Toast pita chips ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Place a few in a snack bag to eat with your hummus dip.

Hot Lunch Ideas

* Vegetable soup – A pot of soup can be prepared on Sunday and eaten during the week. Any leftovers can be frozen for another time. Soup can be heated up in minutes in a microwave.

* Vegetable pizza – Create personal pan pizzas ahead of time and freeze them until you need them. Top with your favorite veggies. For better results, prebake the crusts before freezing.

Vegetarian lunches don’t have to be complicated or full of fat. .

There are many energy drinks on the market, but they are not all what they appear to be. They contain ingredients that you might not want to ingest, and there can be side effects from extensive use. However, you can create your own nutrient-packed energy drinks to meet your energy needs.

Energy is the result of food eaten and broken down inside the body. When you eat the right foods that the body can use, you have more energy at your disposal. Therefore, you can regulate how much energy you have by how much food you consume that the body can use.

Here are a few foods to consider for making your own energy drinks:

* Berries – All kinds of berries are beneficial. Darker berries contain resveratrol in their skins, a compound that helps to increase heart health. All berries contain antioxidants, which are known to increase immunity, reduce disease in the body, increase energy and add balance to the body. Berries also contain fiber which lowers cholesterol and keeps the digestive system functioning.

* Green leafy vegetables – This includes spinach and kale. They are filled with protein and vitamins such as E, K and A. They contain carbohydrates that are filled with nutrients, but with few calories, and provide sustainable energy for the body.

* Apples – Apples contain fiber, which is good for filling you up and lowering your cholesterol. One of the best ingredients in apples is quercetin.

* Fruits – Try different varieties that blend well together such as mangoes, peaches, bananas, pineapples and oranges. They are full of vitamin C to boost immunity and energy.

* Seeds – You can use a bit of texture in that energy drink if you wish; in fact, you can grind your seeds into powder. Try some flaxseed and wheat germ to add a bit of fiber to your drink. Seeds also add protein, which is needed to fight sugar cravings.

Smoothie Recipes

We call it an energy drink but it is in reality an energy smoothie. You can put all of your ingredients together at night and pop them in a blender in the morning.

Berry Smoothie

* 1 cup of fat-free plain yogurt
* Generous portions of frozen berries of your choice
* Ice cubes

Use the natural flavor of the berries to sweeten the smoothie. If you need more liquid, try a fourth of a cup of 100 percent apple juice.

Energy Smoothie

* 1 banana
* 1 cup of strawberries
* 1 cup of soy milk or 1 cup of yogurt
* 1 cup of green leafy veggies like spinach or kale

Green Smoothie

* ½ cup of carrots
* Ice cubes
* Plain yogurt
* ½ cup apple juice
* Swiss chard

You can combine fruits and vegetables in whatever combinations taste best to you for that energy-packed punch. Sweeten with fruit juice, cinnamon or nutmeg. Using a good blender will ensure a smooth drink with no large pieces.

Experiment yourself to find what suits your taste buds the best.

Too many of us awake in the morning still feeling tired, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you start your day with a healthy breakfast, the most important meal of the day because your body needs fuel for the upcoming day’s activities.

A nourishing breakfast gets the metabolism up and running. Without a meal when you awake, you can lack concentration and feel sluggish all day.

Breakfast Tips

We know that it can be hard to fit in breakfast when you are busy. It seems easier to stop at a fast food restaurant, but not all of their choices are healthy for you.

First, choose meals that are easy to prepare ahead of time. You can fix your breakfast the night before so that you just have to pop it in the microwave to warm it up.

Make a big portion and divide it up for the entire week. That way, breakfast is always easy for you and the family, and each person has the right amount so that they don’t overeat.

Planning ahead is best when it comes to making sure that you get breakfast. Get your family to help you so that everyone participates.

Breakfast Food Ideas

Here are some ideas for breakfast foods that will nourish you and give you energy:

* Smoothies – fruit smoothies are full of antioxidants and fill you with energy. Try strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Smoothie ingredients can be placed in a cup ready to be blended with yogurt and ice in the morning.

* Granola cereal – You can top a cup of yogurt with it, add it to oatmeal, and make granola bars with it, or you can eat it alone. Whole grains give you sustained energy throughout the day and the fiber fills you up for hours.

* Eat whole fruit – When all else fails, eat an apple or a banana. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a big meal, but you do need to eat something that will be good for your body. Fruits like apples and bananas are full of fiber so they fill you up better than drinking fruit juice. Dried fruit can also be used as a quick snack later in the day.

* Oatmeal – This makes a better breakfast idea on the weekends. But if you have enough time, you can make oatmeal in the morning. It is a hot hearty meal that will get all your systems moving.

Are you looking to put a little energy back in your day? Start with a proper breakfast.

Easter is the Christian holiday when the death and resurrection of Christ is celebrated. It is often a time of family gatherings that are surrounded by food. This Easter, if you are the one who is preparing the meal, here are some healthy ways to reduce the fat content.

What do you like to eat during Easter? One of the main things that go on is Easter egg hunts. These are great for the children as a way of having fun on Easter Sunday. Eggs are a food that is high in protein and also a source of cholesterol.

Here are some egg ideas. Scoop out the yolk from the eggs and allow the kids to eat the egg whites. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. The eggs can also be used to make deviled eggs.

Deviled eggs are a delicious addition to any Easter dinner. Since you boiled and decorated and hid all of those eggs, you now have to eat them. When making your filling for the egg white, try to cut the use of egg yolk by fifty percent. Mix with fat-free mayonnaise, a little vinegar and some mustard. Sprinkle the top with paprika.

How about dessert? One thing that is a staple of Easter is chocolate candy and those marshmallow candies called Peeps that are shaped into chicks and bunnies. Dessert alternatives can include:

* Jell-O Easter eggs and bunnies
* Dark chocolate spoons or candy bunnies
* Low-fat carrot cake
* Pudding with whipped cream.

You can purchase Jell-O molds or use cookie cutters. Mix your gelatin and then pour into the molds. Kids can shake, jiggle and then eat their treats.

Chocolate is not all bad. Darker chocolate contains more cocoa solids and has more of an antioxidant benefit. Create your own chocolate by melting dark chocolate and pouring on plastic spoons. Allow them to set. It makes a perfect sweet treat for children.

As for Easter cake, replace part of that flour in your carrot cake with whole wheat flour. You will have fewer calories. Also you can replace some of the oil with applesauce to cut the fat.

What about the main meal? Some people have ham or lamb. If you choose the lamb, get it from a butcher shop. Ask them to remove as much of the fat as they can, even going so far as to butterfly the piece of meat. Rub the outside with various herbs, such as rosemary, and even some olive oil before roasting.

Ham is a very salty dish. Opt instead for a roasted, glazed turkey breast or a whole roasted chicken. Want some pork in the dish? Cross a couple of pieces of bacon on the top as a tasty and decorative addition.

Wherever you can, try to trim the fat and calories from your favorite dishes at Easter. Enjoy the day and the food without gaining extra pounds in the process.

We all love to eat carbohydrates, especially bread. If you have a bread craving, here are some ways to make it healthy so you can eat it more often.

There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. You would think that you need simple ones, but just the opposite is true. Simple carbohydrates are sugars and processed foods full of sugar. They are metabolized quickly, leading to sugar spikes in the blood, which is not good. You will gain a lot of energy but it will be short-lived unless you get a new infusion of sugar.

Complex carbohydrates include whole grains. These grains differ from products labeled “wheat” or “whole wheat” because they are made using the entire seed of the grain. In processing the portion of the seed that contains the fiber and nutrients, these are stripped away, leaving little to no nutritional value unless fortified with vitamins. That is the main problem with white flour products.

Using whole grains to make breads yields lots of good benefits. For one, you get lots of fiber. It keeps your digestive system moving, as well as keeping you full and satisfied when eaten with vegetables and protein.

Secondly, bread is a perfect place to hide other good ingredients. For instance, how about banana bread? Bananas are a good source of potassium, which is good for your heart muscle and can keep you from cramping during exercise. When the banana skin begins to darken, that is when the fruit inside is sweetest. You can reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe and still enjoy the taste.

Bread Recipes

One way to make bread is to use a bread machine. It allows you to combine the ingredients and make the dough without standing and kneading in your kitchen. Add wholesome ingredients such as dried cranberries, orange pieces, raisins and nuts to increase your carbohydrate and protein content.

Many types of bread do not need yeast or a period of rising. These are your sweet breads that can also be healthy when you substitute ingredients. For breads like this, use a combination of whole wheat and white flour. Using whole wheat flour by itself can change the taste of your bread. Instead, read the instructions on the package. It is usually a 50/50 mixture or a 75/25 mixture of white flour to wheat flour. Also, try whole wheat pastry flour which has less gluten than regular whole wheat flour.

For milk, try skim milk, or low-fat buttermilk if the recipe calls for it. Any sour cream or cream cheese can be substituted with the fat free recipe. As for oil, use half as much oil and add natural applesauce to make up the rest. The bread will retain its moisture, but contain fewer calories.

Examples of bread recipes you can substitute and also fix in a flash with healthy staples on hand include:

* Raisin bread
* Banana bread
* Zucchini bread
* Date nut bread
* Chocolate chip walnut bread.

Your staples include:

* Whole wheat pastry flour (from whole foods store)
* Nuts
* Dried fruits
* Bananas
* Chocolate chips
* Eggs
* Healthy canola oil (or olive oil – halve it and substitute applesauce for the other half)
* White flour.

Healthy breads don’t have to take long to fix and enjoy, and leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.

Looking for great holiday recipes for the vegetarians in your life?

Then try A Vegetarian Christmas Season.

It features over 115 pages of easy, tasty recipes that won’t break the bank but will impress your guests.

If you are looking for super Thanksgiving recipes for the vegetarians in your life, try this book:
Festive Vegetarian Cookery

(Serves 4 – 5)

Ingredients:
10 fluid oz water, lightly salted
5 oz millet
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp low-fat cream cheese
Salt and black pepper

Instructions:
In a big pot, bring water to a boil. Then pour in the millet and bring the water back to a boil and cover the pot. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Place the cooked millet into a bowl.

Heat half of the sunflower oil in a small frying pan and sauté the green onions for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions to the millet and mix. Then add the chopped cilantro and combine.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and the cream cheese together and stir into the millet mixture. Season with salt and pepper, then form 8 round patties.

Heat the rest of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the patties until nice and golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with a tossed salad. This makes great vegetarian entrée, or side dish with poultry or fish.

Ingredients:
2 cups pasta (preferably shell pasta)
15 oz can of salmon
1/3 cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Sprinkle lemon juice to taste, optional
Sprinkle dried or fresh dill to taste, optional

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions and drain.

Drain salmon, but reserve the liquid. Mash the salmon and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt ¼ cup of butter and add the flour, continuously stirring for one minute. Then add the milk and bring to a boil, while stirring constantly. Once boiled, quickly reduce the head and keep cooking (still stirring) until the sauce has thickened. Set aside.

In a skillet, melt the remaining butter, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the cooked onions to the white sauce, add the salmon and the reserved liquid. Then add the cheddar cheese, parsley and season to taste. Heat gently, while stirring, until the cheese has melted.

Pour the salmon sauce over the pasta and combine well.

Serve immediately with a side salad, and lemon and dill to taste.

(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 ¼ lb chicken thigh fillets, chopped coarsely
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 medium white onions, sliced thickly
1 large red pepper, chopped coarsely
¼ cup red curry paste (or less if you don’t like it too spicy)
1 tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup shredded fresh basil leaves
13 fl oz coconut milk

Instructions:
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in large frying pan or wok. Stir-fry the chicken pieces in batches until browned and remove from frying pan.

Heat rest of oil in frying pan and sauté onion and pepper until onion is just tender. Add browned chicken pieces, coconut milk, curry paste and fish sauce and stir until mixture begins to boil. Stir in basil and serve immediately with rice noodles or rice.