The Best 30-Day Vegetarian Diet Plan

Updated January 02, 2020
Incorporating more vegetarian meals into your weekly routine is a great way to boost your health. Eating more plant-based foods and less meat has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes and even certain types of cancer. Plus, going meatless has environmental benefits. Whether you're already vegetarian or trying to cut down on meat, this vegetarian diet meal plan makes it easy with mouthwatering meatless recipes all month long.Watch Video
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Day 1: Tex-Mex Black Bean & Quinoa Bowl

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Skip the tortillas and layer your taco fillings onto protein-rich quinoa in this healthy vegetarian bowl dinner recipe. Top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a splash of your favorite hot sauce.

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Day 2: Vegetarian Pinto Bean Sloppy Joes

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This vegetarian Sloppy Joe recipe uses pinto beans and a heap of veggies tossed in a sweet, tangy sauce for the filling of a tad messy kid-friendly sandwich you can make in your slow cooker.

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Day 3: Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tostadas

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The butternut squash-and-black bean base in these healthy vegetarian tostadas has a mild, sweet-spicy flavor thanks to ancho chile powder. If you can't find ancho chile powder, other mildly spicy chili powder can be used. Serve with your favorite hot sauce.

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Day 4: Peanut-Tofu Cabbage Wraps

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Cabbage is a tasty low-calorie stand-in for buns or bread in this healthy, gluten-free lettuce wrap recipe. Don't limit yourself to cabbage for this recipe--any fresh green sturdy enough to wrap around 1/2 cup of filling works.

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Day 5: Vegetarian Taco Salad

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Nobody will miss the meat in this colorful, zesty vegetarian taco salad. The rice and bean mixture can be made ahead and the salad quickly assembled at mealtime. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Day 6: Gruyere, Asparagus & Pea Baked Pasta

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This healthy casserole recipe contains tons of veggies alongside whole-wheat pasta for a satisfying dinner kids and adults will enjoy.

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Day 7: Quinoa-Stuffed Delicata Squash

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With its pretty striped skin and uniform shape, delicata squash is a beautiful vessel for serving up this healthy quinoa stuffing. Serve this recipe as a stunning side dish or a vegetarian main with a big leafy green salad alongside.

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Day 8: Black Bean Quesadillas

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In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. We like them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. If you like a little heat, be sure to use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. Serve with: A little sour cream and a mixed green salad.

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Day 9: Baked Eggs, Tomatoes & Chiles (Shakshuka)

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This popular Israeli breakfast or brunch skillet recipe features eggs cooked on a bed of roasted tomato sauce. Serve with warm crusty bread and hot sauce.

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Day 10: Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

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Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe--canned chickpeas add too much moisture.

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Day 11: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

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In this low-carb spaghetti squash lasagna recipe, garlicky broccolini, spaghetti squash and cheese are combined for a healthy take on a favorite casserole. This bakes right in the squash shells for a fun presentation. Serve with a big Caesar salad and some warm and crusty whole-grain bread.

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Day 12: Vegetarian Tikka Masala

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In this vegetarian tikka masala recipe, we combine crisp tofu pieces and vegetables in a spiced tomato sauce to make a healthy and flavorful dish. If you like spicy food, increase the amount of crushed red pepper. Serve with steamed brown rice for a healthier take on a classic takeout dish.

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Day 13: Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup

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Inspired by creamy turkey and wild rice soup recipes, this vegetarian mushroom soup recipe is a whole lot lighter and gets a rich flavor boost from caramelized leeks. Serve with a green salad with sherry vinaigrette and crusty bread to sop up any bits left in the bowl.

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Day 14: Dan Dan Noodles with Seitan, Shiitake Mushrooms & Napa Cabbage

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Sichuan peppercorns add a touch of floral heat to this mushroom-and-cabbage-loaded riff on dan dan noodles. Look for protein-rich vegetarian seitan--processed wheat gluten with a meaty texture-- near refrigerated tofu in large supermarkets or natural-foods stores. The actual weight of the seitan in a package varies depending on whether water weight is included. Look for the undrained weight on the label.

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Day 15: Kale & White Bean Potpie with Chive Biscuits

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In this vegetarian white bean potpie recipe, kale and hearty white beans are topped with easy, homemade chive biscuits. If desired, add a little shredded Gruyère or Cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.

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Day 16: Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata

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This vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette.

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Day 17: Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes

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In this healthy take on twice-baked potatoes, spinach, feta, garlic and oregano are stuffed into the potato shells along with the mashed potatoes. Serve with steak or chicken sprinkled with oregano or marjoram.

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Day 18: Millet-Stuffed Peppers with Ginger & Tofu

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The filling in this stuffed pepper recipe uses millet, which is naturally gluten-free and has a nutty corn flavor--plus it cooks quickly because of its small size. We like Asian-flavored baked tofu in this recipe, but you can choose your favorite flavor. Serve with roasted broccoli or asparagus drizzled with sesame oil.

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Day 19: Indian Edamame Quinoa Burgers

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This bunless quinoa burger recipe with an easy yogurt sauce is a staff favorite. Experiment with different seasonings in place of the ginger and garam masala‚ such as garlic and cumin for Middle Eastern flair or garlic and chili powder for a Southwestern spin. Serve with a spinach salad and naan or chapati bread.

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Day 20: Squash & Red Lentil Curry

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This healthy red lentil curry recipe has a rich flavor and complexity that tastes like it takes hours to prepare. Butternut squash and coconut milk combine with the lentils to make a hearty vegetarian dish. Serve with brown rice or naan bread.

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Day 21: Tofu Ratatouille Kebabs

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Lemon-oregano marinade amps up tofu in this ratatouille-inspired vegetarian kebab recipe. Serve with whole-wheat orzo tossed with olive oil and herbs, or in a wrap with yogurt sauce.

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Day 22: Vegetarian Muffalettas

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Muffaletta sandwiches, named for a Sicilian bread brought by immigrants to New Orleans, are usually loaded with cured meats, pickles and cheese. Our healthy vegetarian recipe has a trio of smoky grilled veggies. Chopped olives and banana peppers deliver the signature flavor of the classic.

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Day 23: Wild Mushroom Pizza with Arugula & Pecorino

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Make no mistake, this healthy pizza recipe is all about the mushrooms; lemon oil and arugula add just enough citrus and spiciness to accent without overwhelming. To that end, Sardinian or Tuscan Pecorino cheese (milder than Pecorino Romano) is called for, but other mellow grating cheeses, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, will work.

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Day 24: Creamy Asparagus-Potato Soup

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In this fast asparagus soup recipe, potato adds creaminess without adding cream. Double or triple this soup and freeze the leftovers for a quick lunch.

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Day 25: Crispy Portobello Cutlets with Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese

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Portobello mushroom cutlets get steak-house treatment--caramelized onions and blue cheese--in this healthy vegetarian dinner recipe. Serve the mushroom “steaks” with a baked potato and creamed spinach.

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Day 26: Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino

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Elevate frozen ravioli with sizzled garlic and shallots, shaved pecorino and fresh arugula. Serve with: Whole-grain baguette and a light-bodied red wine, such as pinot noir.

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Day 27 : Edamame Hummus Wrap

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Made with protein-rich edamame instead of chickpeas, this easy hummus recipe is the perfect vegetarian filling for a grab-and-go wrap. Or double the recipe and use the hummus for a healthy snack with cut-up vegetables.

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Day 28: Mac & Cheese with Collards

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Dark leafy collards add bold flavor and boost the calcium in this healthy skillet mac and cheese recipe with a crispy topping. If you don't have collards, kale, Swiss chard and spinach are delicious substitutes.

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Day 29: Blackened Tofu with Succotash

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In this Southern-inspired healthy vegetarian recipe, the crispy, spice-infused tofu is served with an easy succotash of corn, lima beans and bell pepper. For an extra kick, serve with your favorite hot sauce.

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Day 30: Tomato & Artichoke Gnocchi

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Artichoke hearts, olives and a splash of red-wine vinegar give this ultra-quick, healthy vegetarian gnocchi recipe pizzazz. For an additional hit of Mediterranean flavor, try topping with feta cheese.

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