Add these healthy vegetarian recipes to weight loss regime

Eating weight loss diets is not sufficient to lose body fat. It is important to balance calories-in and calories-out with the right amount of exercise to lose weight. Here I am going to list down some vegetarian recipes that are low in calories and perfect for your weight loss regime.

Pre-Breakfast Routine

This routine starts just after we wake up in the morning. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps to kick start your metabolism which is directly proportional to weight loss. After that, you can take a cup of green tea, lemon or apple cider vinegar in warm water to help your body burn calories.

For Green Tea

Ingredients- 1 cup hot water, 1 green tea bag, honey or lemon(for taste)
Method-
1- Dip the tea bag in hot water for 20-30 seconds.
2- Add lemon or honey as per your taste and enjoy.
Tip: Avoid eating or drinking other beverages just after having the green tea.

For Apple Cider Vinegar Water

Ingredients- 1 Glass warm water, 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV)
Method-
1- Mix ACV in water and drink it warm.
It helps to burn body fat.

For Lemon Water

Ingredients- 1 Glass warm water, ½ lemon juice, honey(as per taste)
Method-
1- Mix lemon juice in water and drink it warm.
It helps to suppress appetite and reduce calorie intake.

Breakfast Routine

Breakfast is one of the most important parts of any weight loss regime. Never skip your breakfast if you want to lose weight and try to add a good amount of protein to your breakfast because it helps to manage appetite and prevent overeating. Here are some protein-rich breakfast recipes for weight loss.

Oats Idli

Ingredients- 2 cups oats, 1/2 cup grated carrots, 1-2 chopped green chillies, 2 cups sour curd, salt (to taste), 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin, 2 pinch asafoetida, 2 tbsp oil(for tempering and greasing)
Method-
1- Dry roast the oats and grind to a fine powder.
2- Transfer oats powder to a bowl, add carrots, chillies and salt. Mix well.
3- Slowly add curd and mix well to form a thick paste.
4- Heat a pan and add 1/2 tbsp oil to it. Add mustard seeds, cumin and asafoetida. Wait for the crackle.
5- Add the tempering to the oats mixture and mix well. Leave it for 10 minutes.
6- Stream idlis for 15 minutes and enjoy with peanut chutney.
Tips- For peanut chutney, dry roast the peanuts and remove their skin. Grind it with water. Prepare a tempering of curry leaves, dry red chilli, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida in a wak. Add the peanut paste, adjust seasoning and wait for the boil. Peanut chutney is ready to serve.

Black Gram Chaat

Ingredients- 1 cup boiled black gram, 1 onion chopped, 1 tomato chopped, 1-2 green chillies chopped, 1/2 lemon, ½ tsp chaat masala, black salt (to taste), ½ cup freshly chopped coriander.
Method-

1- Take boiled black gram in a bowl, add onion, tomato, chillies, chat masala, black salt and mix well.
2- Squeeze lemon juice, add coriander and serve.
Tips- To enhance its taste you can stir fry the black gram in ½ tsp butter before making the chat.

Moong Sprouts

Ingredients- 1 cup moong sprouts, ½ lemon, ½ onion chopped, ½ tomato chopped, salt (to taste), ¼ tsp chaat masala, 1-2 green chillies chopped, 1 tsp oil, 1 pinch asafoetida, ¼ tsp cumin, ¼ cup freshly chopped coriander
Method-
1- In a wak, add oil, asafoetida, cumin and saute till it crackles.
2- Add sprouts and lightly roast them on a low flame. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3- Take the sprouts out in a bowl, add onion, tomato, green chillies and lemon juice.
4- Add salt and chat masala.
5- Garnish with coriander and serve.

Lunch Routine

After having a power pack breakfast, you can include a variety of colourful vegetables in your diet at lunch to retain your weight loss routine. Try these recipes that are good to go with for your lunch.

Palak Dal

Ingredients- 1 cup boiled moong dal(with skin), 1/ 2 cup washed and drained chopped palak(spinach), salt (to taste), 1 whole red chilli, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp ghee, a pinch of asafoetida
Method-
1- In a wak, add ghee. When hot, add cumin, asafoetida and red chilli.
2- Add moong dal and wait for it to boil.
3- Add chopped palak and mix well.
4- Cook it on low flame for 5 minutes and your palak dal is ready.

Jowar Roti

Ingredients- 1 cup jowar flour, ½ cup lukewarm water.
Method-
1- Knead the dough with lukewarm water. If you are unable to handle the flour, try adding a few spoons of wheat flour for binding.
2- Rest the dough for 5 minutes.
3- Roll the dough(slightly thick) and cook it on low heat.
4- Serve it with dal and sabzi.

Cucumber Raita

Ingredients- 1 cup curd, ½ cup grated cucumber, ¼ tsp ghee, a pinch of asafoetida, ¼ tsp cumin, salt (to taste), a pinch of black pepper
Method-
1- Whisk the curd and add grated cucumber to it.
2- For tempering- In a ladle, add ghee, asafoetida, cumin and wait for it to crackle.
3- Put the tempering on the curd and cucumber mixture. Add salt and chilli.
4- Serve with roti or rice

Vegetable Salad

Ingredients- ½ cup chopped carrots, ½ cup chopped tomato, ½ cup chopped onion, ½ cup chopped beetroot, 1 tsp flax seeds crushed, chat masala for taste
Method-
1- Mix the veggies, add chat masala and flax seeds together.

Tip- Try to have half of the salad at the beginning of the meal to avoid eating more.

Tip- Slow down your eating speed and take not less than 20 minutes to finish your food.

Evening Snack

After having your lunch, you should never jump directly to your dinner at night. You can pick a comfortable time around 4-5 to take your evening meal. You can try homemade snacks for evening that keeps you full for longer. Because if you feel full for longer you will have less for dinner.
Here are some easy snack recipes that you can eat in the evening.

Makhana

Ingredients- 1 cup makhana, salt to taste
Method-
1- Dry roast makhana on low heat. Add salt in between and continue roasting.
2- Take off the heat, cool it down and store it for handy snacking.

Fruit Chat

Ingredients- ½ cup papaya chopped, ½ cup pomegranate, ½ orange, ½ cup apple chopped, chat masala (to taste)
Method-
1- Mix all the fruits together. Season it with chat masala and enjoy.

Roasted Nuts

Ingredients- ½ cup peanuts, ½ cup makhana, 3-4 almonds, 3-4 cashews, 1 tsp raisins
Method-
1- Dry roast the peanuts and put them in a big bowl.
2- Dry roast almonds and put them in the same bowl.
3- Dry roast cashews and put them in the same bowl.
4- Dry roast makhana on low flame and put in the same bowl.
5- Add raisins to the same bowl and mix well.
6- Cool it down and store it as per your requirement.

Dinner Routine

It is ideal to avoid heavy meals for dinner if you are planning for weight loss. Eat light and go to sleep at least 3 hours post-meal. You can try these light recipes for dinner.

Bottle Gourd Curry

Ingredients- 1 cup bottle gourd, 1 small onion, 1 small tomato, ½ tsp ghee, ¼ tsp cumin, a pinch of turmeric, salt (to taste), a pinch of asafoetida, 1 green chilli
Method-
1- Puree tomato and onion in a grinder with little water.
2- In a pressure cooker, add ghee, cumin, asafoetida, green chillies and pureed paste.
3- Add turmeric and let the masala cook till it dries.
4- Add the bottle gourd and ½ cup water.
5- Add salt and pressure, cook it for 2 whistles on high flame and then cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
6- Serve it with jowar roti.

Vegetable Daliya

Ingredients- 1 cup roasted daliya(broken wheat), 1 cup chopped mixed vegetables(cauliflower, carrots, peas, beans), ½ cup onion chopped, 2 pinch turmeric, ¼ tsp garam masala, 1 green chilli chopped, 1 tsp ghee, ¼ tsp cumin, a pinch of asafoetida,
Method-
1- Heat a pressure cooker, add ghee, cumin, asafoetida, green chilli, turmeric and onions. Saute till the onions turn soft.
2- Add mixed vegetables and saute again.
3- Add daliya and saute for 30 seconds.
4- Add salt and water.
5- Pressure cook it for 3 whistles and turn off the flame.
6- Enjoy this with curd or coriander chutney.

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients- 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup cabbage, ½ cup beans, 2 boiled tomatoes (pureed), ½ cup broccoli, ½ cup boiled peas, salt (to taste), black pepper (to taste), 1 tsp melted butter
Method-
1- Add melted butter to a pan, add onion, garlic and saute for a minute.
2- Add carrots, cabbage and beans. Add salt and cook until soft.
3- Add broccoli and boiled peas. Cook for a minute.
4- Add tomato puree and water. Wait for a boil.
5- Add black pepper and cook it on low flame for 10 minutes.

I hope you would like to add these recipes to your weight loss routine. You can create a 7-day meal plan using these recipes by adding more recipes to your plan. While managing your cravings for other foods, treat yourself once a week with a very limited quantity of your favourite food. This will help you stick to your plan better which will be beneficial for your weight loss journey.

Disclaimer: The information provided here should not be considered as expert advice and I would suggest talking to the vigyanveda weight management experts before trying this for weight loss.