How To Plan A Menu For Vegetarians

Do you want to know how to plan a menu for vegetarians? Vegetarians plan their meals around plant-based foods and avoid meat, poultry and seafood. Their menu consists of other meatless options that come with many health benefits. The vegetarian menu is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, so it’s ideal for people suffering from heart disease or intestinal problems. It also helps reduce the incidence of most cancers.

Items Needed:

• Pen
• Paper
• Vegetarian cookbook or Internet

1. Appetizers are a great way to start a meal. Cherry tomatoes filled with goat cheese, avocado feta salsa with whole grain pita chips, a simple fruit salad or spinach dip with pumpernickel bread are all simple options. This is a great way to entertain guests while dinner is cooking, so be sure to add this item to your menu.
2. Determine a protein source for your meal. There are many ways for vegetarians to add protein to their menu. Select dairy products, grains, nuts and legumes, tofu or soy as the main ingredient of the meal.
3. Decide how you will use your main ingredient. For instance, you may decide on tofu, which blends easily with many foods and can be served with rice, quinoa and pasta salad. It can also be made into tofu burgers for a simple and healthy meal. The possibilities are endless when it comes to planning a menu for vegetarians.
4. Select a vegetable side dish. Vegetables that are in season are your best choice. Baked asparagus with balsamic butter sauce is a great side dish that is baked and dressed with a blend of soy sauce, butter and balsamic vinegar.
5. Look to Indian or Mediterranean dishes for inspiration to add flavor and spice to your vegetarian dishes. These cultures rarely eat meat and some of the flavors are out of this world. Some spices to incorporate into your meal are ginger, cumin, marjoram, turmeric, coriander, fennel and cardamom. These spices are used to enhance the flavors of many vegetarian menus.
6. Don’t forget the dessert. Dessert can be as easy as a peach cobbler or chocolate covered strawberries. Keep your dessert simple if you are new to vegetarian cooking. Cooking a dinner may be challenging enough. Try store bought items, such as gingerbread cookies, apples dipped in caramel or a lemon pie.

As you are planning a menu for vegetarians, keep a few of these things in mind. Combining milk products with grains can make simple vegetarian meals or pairing grain products with nuts, dried beans or peas is another option. If you are new to vegetarian cooking, look for meal kits and dried soups to start with. Many times you can add beans or other proteins to a dish to make a complete and nutritious meal. Another easy approach is to adjust the meals you already make and modify them into vegetarian dishes.