• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Budget Earth

Living A Happy, Natural Life with Dogs & Other Furry Friends

Looking for something ?

  • Pets
    • Pet Food
      • Dog Food
      • Dog Treats
      • Cat Food
      • Cat Treats
      • Pet Supplements
      • Bowls & Fountains
      • Pet Recipes
    • Pet Toys & Comfort
      • Dog Toys
      • Cat Toys
      • Pet Beds
      • Leashes & Harnesses
      • Pet Clothes
    • Pet Grooming
      • Dog Shampoos & Conditioners
      • Pet Grooming Supplies
    • Pet Education
      • Dog & Cat Potty Training
      • Pet Safety
      • Pet Anxiety
    • Small Animals
      • Small Animal Care
      • Small Animal Products
    • Traveling with Pets
      • Travel Safety
      • Travel Must Haves
    • Pet DIY & Craft Projects
  • Books
    • Fiction
      • Fantasy & Sci-Fi
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Non-Fiction
      • Art Books
      • Biography & Memoir
      • Cookbooks
      • DIY & Craft Books
      • Garden & Plant Books
      • Health Books
      • History
      • Pet Books
      • Self Help Books
    • Children’s Books
  • Tech
    • Technology
  • Kids
    • Baby
    • Toys
    • Children’s Books
  • Food & Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Homemade Recipes
    • Food Collections
    • Healthy Eating
    • Cookbooks
    • Kitchen
    • Food & Drinks
    • Grocery Shopping
  • DIY
    • Crafts & Projects
    • Pet DIY & Craft Projects
    • Homemade Cleaners
  • Health
  • Reviews
    • Hygiene Products
    • Household Cleaners
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Decorating
    • Online Products
    • Learning
    • Gifts
    • Health Products
  • Travel
    • Travel Advice
    • Cincinnati & Greater Cincinnati
    • Vacation Ideas
    • Helpful Travel Items
    • Traveling with Pets
  • Fashion
  • Giveaways
    • Open Giveaways
    • Closed Giveaways
    • Giveaway Winners
  • Home Improvement
  • Printables
  • Saving Money
    • Saving Money Sites
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Recipes / Healthy Eating / Best Ideas for Family Friendly Vegetarian Meals

Best Ideas for Family Friendly Vegetarian Meals

April 5, 2012 by Demelza Young

The summer I left for college, I think I surprised nearly everyone in my family when I told them I wanted to be a vegetarian.  None of my friends were vegetarian; no one in my family ever requested much in the way of recipes for vegetarian meals.  I’m still the only complete vegetarian in my family, so when I am home visiting I see it as a challenge to make simple vegetarian meals that everyone will like.

I think what many people don’t realize is that a lot of American favorites are already or can easily be made vegetarian, such as PB&J sandwiches, pizza, and macaroni and cheese.  If you want to incorporate more vegetarian meals into the rotation in your household, it’s simple to ease into it.  Rather than serving up a Tofurkey, you may want to consider a do-it-yourself taco bar with plenty of beans and cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions.  Another fun and easy idea is a “breakfast for dinner” night.  Typical breakfast favorites like French toast, waffles or pancakes, muffins, omelettes and parfaits (layered cereal or granola, fruit, and yogurt) are all easy vegetarian meals—and probably favorites—your family already loves.

So, your breakfast night was a hit and your family is already open to trying more recipes for vegetarian meals.  What do you do next? When I am low on inspiration, I enjoy looking to other cultures.  Perhaps your family is already familiar with the Asian concept of stir-frying, which utilizes a medley of vegetables in accompaniment with rice.  You can use soy sauce to season, or another of your favorite sauces, such as Teriyaki.  For protein, you can go with the classic tofu or simply crack and scramble an egg into your pan.  One of my family’s favorite meals, however, is a Japanese one-pot meal known as sukiyaki.  While it is often made with meat, I prefer to substitute thinly sliced, browned tofu.  Italian minestrone soup, ratatouille (you can even make a movie night out of it!), and noodle dishes are other vegetarian meals your family is probably already familiar with.  You can easily use a jarred sauce, but roasted tomatoes with oregano and basil help take a homemade sauce to an entirely new level.  If you think your family will miss the meat sauce, the addition of roasted eggplant or portabella mushrooms can easily lend that meaty flavor to the dish.  If you’re looking for something new to add into your vegetarian meal planning, you may wish to try Moroccan couscous, with aromatic spices and dried fruit, or perhaps an African peanut stew.

Soups are also great vegetarian meals.  Split pea and lentil aren’t your only options, though—you can easily create recipes for vegetarian meals by substituting a few ingredients in non-vegetarian recipes.  Rather than using chicken and chicken broth in your noodle soup, try adding garbanzo beans (chickpeas).  Instead of ground beef in your chili, swap the meat for beans, tofu, seitan, or ground soy crumbles (found in the freezer section).  For your favorite potato soup, add some tempeh bacon instead of real bacon on top.

If you just want to substitute meat in a dish, there are packaged products like those made by Boca (I like to use the soy crumbles in stuffed peppers, chili, my mom’s “hamburger soup,” etc.), Lightlife (lunch meat substitutes), Smart Dogs (hot dogs), and Morningstar Farms (I enjoy their grilled chik'n patties and chik’n nuggets as an occasional treat).  What you should realize, however, is that these products are not meat and so you should not expect them to taste exactly as such.  I would also advise against buying prepackaged products often, because they can get expensive.  Hopefully these vegetarian meal ideas have encouraged you to explore your options.  It’s about time we busted the myth that “vegetarians only eat salads!”

About Demelza Young

Demelza Young is an alumni of Northern Kentucky University. She currently enjoys volunteering her time in her local community, reviewing online content with her cat, and sharing quality recipes.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: family, health, healthy, healthy eating, vegetarian

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sohair says

    February 21, 2017 at 9:00 pm

    I do make vegetarian meals a few times a year ,but I think I should make vegetarian dishes more often at least a couple of times a month

  2. Sohair says

    February 25, 2017 at 11:59 pm

    I like to teach myself to incorporate more veggies in my diet.I love to learn always new dishes and teach others ty

  3. Sandra A Beeman says

    March 3, 2017 at 12:34 pm

    I am honestly not much of a vegetable lover. However, most of the recipe ideas here could perhaps, change my mind!

  4. stacy says

    April 9, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Interesting how I make many of the meals you talk about…just never thought of them as vegetarian.

  5. Sandy Cain says

    May 18, 2017 at 8:01 am

    I am not quite a vegetarian – I eat fish – but I don’t eat meat, in general. I do love vegetables though – all the colors, textures, and flavors! They do seem to fill me fill me up, and keeo my system healthy. I do eat a lot of tofu – very firm – with a little soy sauce or BBQ sauce on it, it’s delicious in a salad! Thanks for your ideas! : )

  6. Sohair says

    August 25, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    I started eating more veggies

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Recent Articles

  • Amazing Holiday & Winter Teas with Plum Deluxe
  • Finding A Stylish Ceramic Dog Bowl
  • Best First Aid Kit for Busy Families
  • Field Guide to Outside Style Book Review
  • How to Become a Gardener Book Review
  • Save Big on Big Boy Bamboo Big and Tall Bamboo T-Shirts
  • Treat Your Bunny to a Cozy Christmas with Bunny Gifts from Etsy
  • The First-Time Homesteader Book Review
  • The Vegetable Gardening Book Review
  • Bloom The Secrets to Flowering Houseplants Book Review



Follow Us on Instagram

susanlbewley

Goodbye my sweet Lucie. Thank you for two decades Goodbye my sweet Lucie. Thank you for two decades of love. My your trip across the Rainbow Bridge be full of joy until we meet again. 

Faith C. Young, thank you for giving her the most wonderful care. Txomina Young thank you for such a gorgeous tea party photo shoot with her earlier this year.
Girls were excited to finally get a picture with D Girls were excited to finally get a picture with Dad! He finally decided to come outside and play in  his new @bigboybamboo shirts. Cooling enough he didn't mind the hot and humid temperatures today! 

#dogs #lovedogs #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #doglover #dogoftheday #insta_dog #ilovemydog #doglovers #instadogs #dogslife #doggie #doglove #happydog #instagood  #alaskanmalamute  #alaskanmalamuteofinstagram #sleddog #lovemydog #notahusky #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #cute #cutedog #pets #petagram  #prettydog #bamboo #bigandtallfashion
#complimentary #DoThingsDifferin #DifferinDifferen #complimentary #DoThingsDifferin #DifferinDifference @Influenster @DifferinUS

Having skin blemishes is no fun & not part of any girls plan. Loved that Differin Body Wash worked fast and was great for my sensitive skin!
Ivi not sure what to think finding her fur....#dog Ivi not sure what to think finding her fur....#dogs #lovedogs #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #doglover #dogoftheday #insta_dog #ilovemydog #doglovers #instadogs #dogslife #doggie #doglove #happydog #instagood  #alaskanmalamute  #alaskanmalamuteofinstagram #sleddog #lovemydog #notahusky #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #cute #cutedog #pets #petagram  #prettydog
When people ask how much the girls shed...this is When people ask how much the girls shed...this is Ivi blowing coat.  #puppiesofinstagram #cute #cutedog #pets #petagram  #prettydog
Had to share my cute order from @sugoimart - Box 2 Had to share my cute order from @sugoimart - Box 2 of 2 included 2 Sakura Lucky Bags (all Japan-exclusive items). These bags were 100% worth it & oh so adorable! When this box arrived from #sugoimart it was under pressure from all the items in these two bags. It includes some cute sakura season #Sanrio items #dogplush , tea, soda, beauty items, stationery & more. While there were some duplicate items, not as many as the #SanroiLuckyBag . If you are considering buying this bag - go for it! While I wish the second bag had a plush rather than a #sakura themed toy, I definitely think it was the gamble! #LuckyBag #Sakuraluckybag #Japan #Japanexclusive #HelloKitty #Cute
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Join Our Email List





Footer

Recent Posts

  • Amazing Holiday & Winter Teas with Plum Deluxe
  • Finding A Stylish Ceramic Dog Bowl
  • Best First Aid Kit for Busy Families
  • Field Guide to Outside Style Book Review
  • How to Become a Gardener Book Review
  • Save Big on Big Boy Bamboo Big and Tall Bamboo T-Shirts
  • Treat Your Bunny to a Cozy Christmas with Bunny Gifts from Etsy

Looking for Something?

Follow Us

Join Our Email List





Privacy Policy | Disclosure | Contact Us
Copyright - Bewley Consulting Corp.