Whether you’re vegetarian or not, eating more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables is important for a healthy lifestyle. Here are nine vegetarian meal ideas to ensure your diet is packed with healthy meatless meals. 

Breakfast

Bean Burrito 

You may know Eva Longoria as one of the stars from Desperate Housewives but this actress also loves to get busy in the kitchen! As mentioned in a recent issue of Women’s Health Magazine as well as on Rachel Ray’s cooking show, Eva makes a bean burrito for breakfast, get this, from scratch! Here is Eva’s recipe for flour tortillas and refried beans:

Aunt Edna's Homemade Flour Tortillas

There are as many different styles of tortillas as there are regions in the parts of the world where they are eaten. I make tortillas like the ones I grew up eating in my Aunt Edna's kitchen in Texas: thick, fluffy, and addictive! This dough can be used to make them any way you like: small or large, thick or thin. With practice, you'll get more efficient and turn into a one-person assembly line: cooking one tortilla while you roll out another.

Nothing is better to sop up the creamy gravy of Aunt Didi's Carne Guisada. Or eat them warm, straight off the comal (a flat griddle) and spread with butter. I still love them for breakfast, these days usually with beans rolled up inside.

Makes 12 Small or 8 Large Tortillas

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, cold and cut up into pieces
• 3/4 cup hot water, plus more as needed

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together until well blended. Add the shortening and use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Slowly add the water, mixing it in with your fingers a little at a time. Turn the dough out onto a surface and knead until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the dough in a clean, large bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for 20 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet or platter, cover with a towel, and let rest 20 minutes.
4. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin (palota) to roll one ball at a time into an evenly thick round; roll it to about 1/8 inch thick for thick, chewy tortillas or as thin as you like. It is more important that the round be evenly thick than a perfect circle, but there is a good method to getting a good, round shape: Place the ball on the lightly floured surface in front of you and flatten it slightly with your palm or the rolling pin. Place your rolling pin at the center of the round and roll once straight up and then straight down. Do not allow your rolling pin to roll right off the edges; just roll up to the edges, not off them. Lift the round and give it a quarter turn. Repeat the rolling and quarter turning until the round is the desired size and thickness. Place the rolled-out tortilla on a baking sheet or large platter and cover with a damp cloth while you roll out the remaining tortillas. Once you have the hang of it, you'll be able to roll and cook at the same time.
5. Heat a comal over medium heat until hot. Place a tortilla on the comal and cook until the underside is brown in spots, the tortilla has risen slightly, and the surface is dotted with air bubbles, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip the tortilla and cook until that side is browned in spots (usually where the bubbles were), 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. For best results, do not flip the tortilla more than once. Transfer the tortilla to a tortilla warmer or place on a platter and cover with a cloth napkin while you cook the remaining tortillas. Serve warm.

Try to flip flour and corn tortillas only once; flipping them back and forth makes the tortillas tough. Wrapped tightly, flour tortillas can be stored for several days in the refrigerator. Reheat them on the comal just before serving.

Eva Longoria’s Refried Beans

• 2 cups drained Pinto Beans
• 1 to 2 tablespoons bean cooking liquid
• Reserve bacon grease or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Grated or crumbled queso fresco

In the work bowl of a food processor, place the beans. Puree until smooth, adding a little of the beans liquid, if necessary, to keep the beans from sticking to the blade. 

In a medium skillet, heat the bacon grease or oil over medium heat until hot. Add the puree and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Serve in the tortilla topped with queso fresco.

Hearty Breakfast Skillet

Using frozen hash browns as your base, make sure the package says it only includes potatoes and no extra preservatives or fillers. Toss in green onion for flavor and green, along with other chopped veggies you have on hand such as broccoli, zucchini, or mushrooms. If adding eggs, cook until just set and yolks are runny and top with cheese and salsa for an extra zest!

Veggie Scramble 

Sooo simple! Saute a couple handfuls of fresh spinach–it wilts down–and some tomatoes with coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Drain excess liquid and add eggs for a quick and easy breakfast. Of course, add a side of awesome avocado toast if you’re feeling extra fancy!

Lunch

Lentil Soup 

This 15-minute lentil soup recipe from Martha Stewart is sure to warm you up while providing your body with protein and fiber as you await spring and summer. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add lentils and cook until soup thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Chopped Salad 

A vegetarian italian chopped salad is full of flavor! With celery, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and chickpeas this meal is so much more than just a boring salad. 

Dinner

Vegetarian Chili

Three types of beans, warm spices, and jalapeño for heat make this chili just as good as a beef version. 

Moroccan Stew

Nothing warms you up on a cold night better than this colorful bazaar of flavors. With green beans, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, and more, this dish is vegan and sure to make your doctor proud. 

Coconut Curry Zoodles

Coconut Milk and curry powder give this one-pot meal tons of flavor without being time intensive. Perfect for a new #meatlessmonday go-to dinner. 

Broccoli Pesto Pasta 

Cook broccoli and blend into your pesto sauce for this vibrantly green pasta treat! Broccoli is high in many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. It also boasts more protein than most other vegetables. This green veggie can be enjoyed both raw and cooked, but recent research shows that gentle steaming provides the most health benefits. 

Check out some of our spices and seasonings as well as soup blends to help inspire your healthy eating commitment.

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