Low-Calorie Vegetarian Recipes

Just a touch of butter adds silkiness to the balsamic sauce that coats broccoli and meaty mushrooms in this easy broccoli side dish recipe.

Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.

Resist the temptation to turn the broccoli over while it roasts in this easy recipe. Leaving it cut-side down means you'll get deliciously caramelized results.

The spice blend in this vegetarian curry may seem like it has a lot of ingredients, but it's very easy to blend together and makes a curry that will rival your local Indian restaurant's. Serve with brown rice and naan to sop up all the sauce.

Making tofu tastier can be as simple as tossing it in a knockout sauce like this Sichuan-inspired peanut dressing. To make this cucumber salad recipe a meal, add rice noodles and double the dressing. Serve with an extra drizzle of sesame oil and sliced scallions.

In this vegetarian grilling recipe, the hot grill gives tofu smokiness and some crispy edges. A BBQ sauce made with gochujang, the hot Korean chile paste, doubles as both a glaze and some sauce to slather on the tofu at the table. Serve with brown rice or farro.

Tofu definitely benefits from a marinade, in this case lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. In this vegetarian salad recipe, the tofu is pressed first, which concentrates its subtle soy flavor and improves the texture by removing some of the water. But what really makes this recipe special is the Parmesan cheese crust that transforms the tofu into a soft, cheesy "crouton."

A little frozen banana gives creamy texture to this satisfying smoothie bowl.

Green matcha powder and spinach give this healthy smoothie bowl a beautiful green hue. Be sure to use frozen bananas (not fresh) to keep the texture thick, creamy and frosty.

For this healthy smoothie bowl recipe, be sure to use frozen fruit (not fresh) to keep the texture thick, creamy and frosty.

This smørrebrød--the Danish name for an open-faced sandwich served on rye--is reminiscent of a cucumber tea sandwich, with a drizzle of honey for sweetness and walnuts for crunch.

Eating fiber-rich rye crisps (or rye bread), such as Danish open-face smørrebrøds, at breakfast (instead of white bread) may help you feel satisfied longer and help keep blood sugar levels steady. This version is our take on a healthier PB&J.

Add some greens and healthy fat to your breakfast when you top an omelet with arugula and avocado. Serve with crusty whole-grain toast, if desired.

Move over, avocado toast. Top a high-protein omelet with avocado and fiber-rich kale and you'll keep hunger at bay for longer.

The mix-ins in these homemade granola bars are inspired by ingredients commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking--dates, hazelnuts, pistachios, tahini and cardamom. But feel free to vary the dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or spices to your preference. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

Skip the granola bar options at the grocery store--they're easy to make at home! You can vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds for the chocolate, cherries and coconut in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

These healthy, homemade granola bars are reminiscent of peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches. Be sure to look for dried banana, not banana chips. The chips are cooked in oil and, if not stored properly, can have an off taste. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

Coconut extract gives these homemade granola bars tropical-inspired flavor. Feel free to swap the blueberries, cashews and flaxseeds for any combination of your favorite dried fruit, nuts or seeds. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

Easy to make at home, these nut-free granola bars can be adjusted to your taste preferences. Simply vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the apricots and seeds in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.