Top Meal Ideas for Meatless Mondays
Meatless Mondays is a trend that started a few years back on social media. It’s been looked at in a few different ways. Some do it to help the environment or as a slow start to transitioning to vegetarian/vegan. Some do it to change-up the meals and add more plants into their diets and some do it to reduce their own meat consumption.
Personally, I love the idea of Meatless Mondays because it eliminates some of the meal decision-making. I always know I’m going for a meatless option unless it's a super special occasion like my last chance to get Earl of Sandwich for a few months. It allows some change-up in meals, so during college it was a day I wasn’t eating a grilled chicken salad or turkey wrap, and it’s just something fun to participate in for me. It also encourages eating fish which has so many health benefits.
Honestly a lot of the time I also use it as an excuse to eat breakfast foods all-day, but hey whatever works! Speaking of breakfast foods, I guess we can start there as my ultimate favorite meatless meal.
Oatmeal Pancakes/ Protein Pancakes and Waffles
Yep... the queen of having pancakes and waffles everyday certainty doesn’t die on a meatless Monday. It’s an easy way to get in all the nutrients you need. Use eggs/egg whites for some added protein, oatmeal for fiber and whole grains, pumpkin/banana for produce and you can even add extra protein with some protein powder, Greek yogurt etc., I have a few favorite oatmeal pancake recipes I alternate between such as my Perfectly Pumpkin Pancake recipe, Banana Yogurt Pancakes, Peppermint Cacao Pancakes, and Greek Yogurt Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancake options.
I also pretty much have my favorite protein pancake mix, Pamcakes’ Pancakes (Code: KatieKreates saves you 10%) nightly which is another great attribution to a meatless Monday. Sometimes I’ll make buttermilk waffles and add avocado on-top or do all different types of combinations to meet my nutrition needs.
Veggie Burger Bagel
You can find the full recipe for this deliciousness here on my blog. Meatless Mondays encouraged me to give veggie burgers a try since so many grilling holidays happen to fall on a Monday. I love Dr. Praeger’s Gluten Free California Veggie Burgers with some Swiss cheese on my favorite O'Doughs gluten free bagel thins!
Quesadillas
One of my favorite meals to make are quesadillas because you can literally dump anything in the fridge/freezer between two wraps and call it a delicious meal. Some combination ideas for a meatless option are:
Plain Cheese
Cheese with a Veggie Burger
Grilled Veggies (I like using the Trader Joe’s Misto Alla Griglia in the winter. You don’t even need to use cheese as the bind with this option, so you can certainly make it a vegan quesadilla)
Seafood
In the summer I love grilling swordfish, salmon, shrimp etc., to make a tasty meal. I absolutely love pairing it with sweet potato and all the veggies to make one nourishing, refreshing dish. With less days to grill in the Winter I tend to opt for canned salmon or tuna fish wraps, sandwiches, salads etc. I also love using the trader joe’s shrimp burgers and baking them in the oven to pair with pasta or add them between a Doughs bagel, English muffin, or whatever bread I choose.
Egg White Patty Sandwiches/ Toast
My absolute latest obsession is the Good Food Made Simple Egg White Patties! I love them in quesadillas, on toast, in-between waffles. They are literally so good and are great for making your own version of a Starbucks Spinach Feta and Egg White Wrap. You cannot go wrong with them ever. My favorite way to enjoy them is on an English muffin or an O'Doughs Gluten Free Bagel with avocado mash/guacamole and some cheese if we really want to make it extra delicious.
Grilled Cheese or Veggie Sandwich
A childhood favorite meal for me will forever be grilled cheese. You can never go wrong with cheese and bread. I really love amping up the nutrients by using the Kerrygold Irish Butter and Ezekiel bread.
Another good one is a veggie sandwich! I love cramming all the veggies I can with guacamole or some green goddess dressing from Trader Joe’s.
Chickpea Pasta
Chickpea pasta dishes and chickpea mac n cheese are fantastic for Meatless Mondays because the chickpea pasta adds an extra boost of protein to your diet. I’ve been using Banza pasta for years and am a huge fan of the brand. They also just came out with microwavable mac n’ cheese cups which are perfect for a quick option. I’m hoping they come out with microwave rice and plain pasta options too.
Eggplant Stuffed Peppers
This is actually my all-time favorite meal ever. My mom started making this one when I was in high school and I became OBSESSED. I used to beg her to make this and I always loved when she surprised me with it after a long afternoon of dance classes. Eggplant stuffed peppers are sautéed eggplant with some olive oil and breadcrumbs that gets placed inside of a softened bell peppers. Before placing it in the oven you add sauce and mozzarella cheese to the top. Then it gets baked in the oven for approximately thirty minutes. It's a great way to get in extra veggies as well!
Homemade Pizzas
There are so many creative ways you can make pizzas at home. You can do pizza bagels, English muffin pizzas, wrap pizzas, pizza quesadillas, grilled pizza. I always love this option because it allows so much creativity and everyone in your household can make their own version! My favorite combination is fresh mozzarella cheese with bell peppers, spinach, and olives!
Other Ideas to Consider
- Soups
- Protein Smoothies
- Avocado Toast
- Baked Tofu
- Frozen Meal options
- Eggplant Parm
Stay tuned for a future blog post on my favorite grocery items from Trader Joe's to purchase for convenient options for those Meatless Mondays and upcoming Lent Fridays.
