Being vegetarian can make putting a healthy meal plan together a little difficult. Making sure you get enough good nutrition with fewer calories is key.
Dietitian Juliette Kellow shows you how to put together a healthy vegetarian calorie controlled diet.
This diet is suitable for all vegetarians including lacto ovo as it contains both eggs and dairy. For vegans who want to lose weight, see our vegan diet plan for weight loss.
How it works
- You can mix and match the meals and snacks to suit your needs, and substitute different meals – as long as you calorie count them!
- Allow around 200-300 calories for breakfast, 300-400 for lunch, 400-500 for dinner and 100-200 for snacks depending on your daily allowance.
- Juliette recommends including 200-300ml of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk to drink alone or in tea or coffee.
- If your daily calorie needs are higher than given in this meal plan, increase portion sizes to suit, or add in extra vegetarian foods. You can do this easily in the WLR food diary.
- All the recipes are available in in the wlr recipe database, making it easy to change quantities and/or ingredients, take a free trial to access them and print off a shopping list for the plan.
You’ll find lots more ideas for vegetarian meals in wlr’s recipe and meal ideas databases, you can add them to the planner to make your own meal plans. Plus you can create and calorie count your own recipes and meal combinations. Take a free trial to have a go.
~ Breakfasts ~
Around 200-300 calories
Poached egg and tomato on toast (195 calories)
1 poached egg, 1 slice wholemeal toast with 1tsp low-fat spread and grilled tomatoes.
Cream cheese and tomato bagel (250 calories)
1 toasted wholegrain bagel with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and 1 tomato.
Shredded wheat and banana (255 calories)
2 Shredded Wheat with skimmed milk and 1 small banana.
Branflakes and fruit (255 calories)
4tbsp branflakes, 1 small banana, 1tbsp raisins and skimmed milk.
Fruity muesli (260 calories)
3tbsp sugar-free muesli, 3 dried apricots, strawberries and skimmed milk.
Milkshake and fruit salad (260 calories)
Banana milkshake made by blending 150ml skimmed milk with 1 pot fat-free banana yoghurt and 1 small banana. Plus a bowl fruit salad.
Scrambled eggs on toast (280 calories)
1 slice wholemeal toast with 1tsp low-fat spread, 2 scrambled egg and grilled tomatoes.
Toast and peanut butter (285 calories)
2 slices wholegrain toast with 1tbsp peanut butter and 1 small glass of orange juice.
Fruit salad with yogurt and oats (345 calories)
Bowl of fruit salad, 1 pot low-fat natural yoghurt and 3tbsp oats.
Beans, mushrooms and tomatoes on toast (380 calories)
1 small can baked beans, 1 grilled tomato, grilled mushrooms and 2 slices wholemeal toast with 1tsp low-fat spread.
~ Lunches ~
Around 300-400 calories
Jacket potato with cottage cheese (295 calories)
1 jacket potato with 6tbsp cottage cheese and salad and fat-free dressing.
Hummus, crudités and pitta (300 calories)
1 wholemeal pitta, ½ small tub reduced-fat hummus and vegetable crudités.
Tropical fruity salad (330 calories)
Iceberg lettuce topped with 6tbsp low-fat cottage cheese, 2 chopped dried apricots, 1tbsp raisins, 1 chopped apple, 1 slice fresh pineapple and 5 crushed walnut halves.
Egg mayo and tomato sandwich (340 calories)
2 slices wholegrain bread filled with 1 hard boiled egg, 1 tomato and 2tsp reduced-fat mayo. Plus 1 pot fat-free fruit yogurt.
Italian salad (345 calories)
Large salad made from ½ small ball reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese, 2 tomatoes and ½ small avocado with salad leaves, basil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with a 5cm piece Granary bread.
Lentil soup and oatcakes (355 calories)
½ carton fresh lentil soup and 2 oatcakes topped with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and tomato. Plus 1 orange.
Greek salad wrap (365 calories)
1 large tortilla wrap filled with chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cucumber, 50g crumbled feta cheese, 5 sliced olives and 1tbsp tzatziki.
Beans and cheese on toast (370 calories)
2 slices wholegrain toast with 1 small can baked beans and 1tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar. Plus a slice of canteloupe melon.
Cottage cheese and avocado on rye (385 calories)
2 slices rye bread topped with 6tbsp cottage cheese and ½ small avocado. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad.
Mixed bean salad (435 calories)
3tbsp each of red kidney beans, chick peas and cannelini beans with spring onions, cherry tomatoes, green pepper and fat-free dressing. Serve with mixed leaves and 1 wholemeal pitta.
~ Dinners ~
Around 400-500 calories
Creamy mushroom pasta (285 calories)
Fry 1 small onion, garlic and 1 small pack button mushrooms in a spray oil until brown. Add 150ml veg stock and 50ml dry white wine. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese with herbs and 150g cooked penne. Mix, heat and serve with salad and fat-free dressing.
Veggie stir fry with rice (390 calories)
Stir fry made from a spray oil, 1 small pack of stir-fry veg and 1tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce. Serve with 8tbsp cooked brown rice. Plus 1 slice canteloupe melon.
Roasted vegetables (380 calories)
Place ½ red pepper, ½ green pepper, 4 thick slices aubergine, 1 sliced courgette and cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin. Brush with 1tsp olive oil and sprinkle with fresh basil. Roast until the vegetables are soft and browned. Top 1 thick slice wholegrain bread with the veggies and ½ small ball reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. Place under a hot grill until the cheese has melted. Serve with salad and fat-free dressing.
Stuffed peppers (425 calories)
Mix 4tbsp cooked brown rice with 1tbsp pine nuts and chopped spring onions, cherry tomatoes and 50g feta cheese. Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, deseed, then fill with the rice mixture. Cover with foil, bake until cooked and serve with salad and fat-free dressing.
Jacket potato with cheese and beans (440 calories)
1 medium jacket potato with 1 small can baked beans, 2tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar, salad and fat-free dressing.
Moroccan salad (475 calories)
Mix 8tbsp prepared couscous salad with cherry tomatoes, red onion, coriander, 3tbsp each of chick peas and kidney beans, lemon juice and 1tsp olive oil.
Cheese omelette (510 calories)
Omelette made from a spray oil, 2 eggs, skimmed milk and 4tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar. Serve with a 10cm piece Granary bread and salad with fat-free dressing.
Veggie fajitas (515 calories)
Slice ½ red pepper, ½ green pepper, ½ red onion, 1 small courgette and 1 carrot. Fry in 1tsp sunflower oil with cajun seasoning until soft and brown. Top 2 large flour tortillas with the veg and 2tbsp each of salsa and grated reduced-fat cheese. Roll up and serve with salad and fat-free dressing.
Egg Florentine (515 calories)
Top some lightly-steamed spinach with 2 poached eggs and 4tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Place under a hot grill until the cheese has melted and serve with a 10cm piece Granary stick.
Vegetable chilli (530 calories)
Make a chilli using a spray oil, 1 small onion, 1 red pepper, ½ courgette, chilli powder, 1 small can tomatoes, 1 small can kidney beans, 1tbsp tomato puree and 150ml vegetable stock. Serve with 8tbsp cooked brown rice, 1tbsp soured cream and salad and fat-free dressing.
~ Snacks/Treats ~
Around 100-200 calories
Crispbreads with Nutella (122 calories)
Two rye crispbreads thinly spread with 10g Nutella
Healthy fruit pavlova (100 calories)
1 meringue nest filled with berries and 3tbsp low-fat natural yogurt.
Crisps (100-120 calories)
1 small packet of low-fat crisps or savoury snacks.
Tzatziki and crudités (135 calories)
½ small tub tzatziki with vegetable crudités.
Pitta and salad (160 calories)
1 wholemeal pitta bread with salad.
Toast and honey (109 calories)
I medium slice of wholemeal or seeded bread, toasted, spread with 2 teaspoons of honey.
Fruit salad and yogurt (165 calories)
Bowl of fruit salad with 1 pot low-fat natural yogurt.
Vegetable soup and toast (175 calories)
½ carton fresh vegetable soup and 1 slice wholegrain toast.
Sunflower seeds (185 calories)
2tbsp sunflower seeds.
Nuts (195 calories)
15 unsalted almonds.
Branflakes with milk (225 calories)
5tbsp branflakes with skimmed milk and 1 orange.
Alcoholic drinks (100 calories)
150ml glass of dry white wine with soda water or red wine or 2 single measures (25ml) of spirits with diet or slimline mixers eg gin and slimline tonic or vodka and diet cola.
