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. .

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.

A great recipe low in fat and calories:
Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

Here is a colorful dip to serve at your Halloween party!

Ingredients:
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or freshly cooked
1/2 medium red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup finely diced tomato
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt

Instructions:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Put into the refrigerated for at least an hour before serving with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:
4 thin slices whole grain or nut bread (use a small loaf, otherwise cut slices in half)
4 – 8 thin slices feta cheese
Handful of arugula
1 tomato, sliced
Dash of olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Toast the bread slices until lightly golden. Place one layer of feta cheese slices on each piece of bread, top it with arugula and a slice of tomato. Then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of freshly ground pepper and eat!

The combination of flavors is fantastic!  These toasties make delicious appetizers.

(makes 2 big servings)

Ingredients:
1 cup of instant oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
Salt
Honey to taste
Handful of unsalted cashews

Method:
Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Simmer for about 2 – 3 minutes until hot.

Serve immediately and enjoy this super-healthy and delicious spicy oatmeal

Ingredients for about 1 cup of pesto:
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

How To:
Place the cilantro leaves and the minced garlic in the bowl of a food processor and with the motor running carefully and slowly add the lemon juice and olive oil until you get a smooth paste.

Put the pesto into a serving bowl and add the salt and pepper. Cover and chill until needed.

The pesto will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

The cilantro pesto is delicious when added to whole wheat spaghetti and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It can also be used as a dip and served with Black Bean nachos.