Hellobee

Lion is a pretty good eater for a toddler. He is adventurous and willing to try new foods. He loves fruits and does a really good job with vegetables, too. He is not big on sweets, generally enjoying the idea of something sugary than the reality (on the rare occasion where he’s had a cookie, he nibbles the edges then hands it to Mr. Dolphin). While he eats a wide variety of food, he is not great about eating meat and Mr. Dolphin and I sometimes worry about his protein intake. Whether he will eat chicken (or other meat) on a particular day is pretty unpredictable. He loves other proteins, though, like edamame, beans of any kind, Greek yogurt, eggs and nuts. When I was a vegetarian for several years, it was often tough for me to consume enough protein, but given that these high protein items are some of Lion’s favorite foods, his preferences give us great encouragement to eat healthier and reduce our meat intake.

Here are some of our favorite vegetarian recipes that (with a couple of exceptions) are high in protein and serve as a main dish rather than a side:

Black Bean Burritos — I don’t really follow a recipe when we make burritos, but it is high on the list of favorites in the Dolphin household. We can each fill our burritos with the toppings we want and customize them to our own tastes. I will make a big pot of black beans or pinto beans and have homemade pico de gallo, plain yogurt, various cheeses, corn and avocado available to add into the tortilla. Sometimes, we will add fish or meat, but it is just as good as a vegetarian dish.

Black Bean Burgers — Sometimes when we have burrito night, we end up with too much leftover black beans. Here’s a great recipe for when we don’t feel like eating black bean burritos three nights in a row. Lion calls them “hamburgers” and actually likes it quite a bit more than a traditional burger. We have to make sure he has a slice of cheese on the side and not actually topping the burger or we will enter toddler meltdown territory.

British Style Beans on Toast — Mr. Dolphin and I much prefer the British style baked beans over American and this is a great recipe, reminding us of the beans we would get when we lived in London. I use a pressure cooker when I’m pressed for time or the slow cooker when I want to come home to a hot meal. This is one of Lion’s top three favorite meals and one where he will frequently ask for seconds (a rarity!). It makes a huge batch and we always have plenty of leftovers.

Mashed Cheesy White Bean With Kale, Parmesan and a Fried Egg — Mr. Dolphin loves mashed cheesy white beans. He prefers it to mashed potatoes and we love that the recipe is high in protein. With the addition of kale and a fried egg, it makes a great dinner.

White Bean Tortellini Soup With Havarti Toast — While Lion and I love soups, it is not Mr. Dolphin’s favorite meal. He does, however, love any soup that has gnocchi, dumplings or tortellini. This is a great, filling soup with lots of vegetables and high in protein.

Baked Falafel — I prefer oven baking to frying when possible and this is a great falafel recipe. I add in another tablespoon or two of olive oil to ensure that it doesn’t dry out too much. This recipe keeps and reheats well making it easy to send as a school lunch the next day. Here’s a recipe for baked falafel fingers as well.

White Beans and Cabbage — White beans, cabbage and potatoes make a great combination, I’ve found. I really enjoy the fact that it’s a quick recipe to throw together when I get home a bit late from work.

Edamame Hummus — Another easy meal in our home is hummus with some toasted pita bread and vegetable dipping sticks. Hummus is super easy and cheap to make and we’ve made lots of different versions from the traditional chickpea hummus, to ones using lima beans, white beans or edamame. The edamame hummus is Mr. Dolphin’s favorite and Lion enjoys the process of dipping bread/chips/vegetables into the dip. We also often send it to school as a snack for Lion.

Tuscan Ribollita — I made this soup for the first time about four years ago and instantly fell in love. I am a big fan of vegetable soup, but the addition of bread to thicken it up and a parmesan rind to flavor the broth takes it over the top. Lion’s favorite food ever is soup of pretty much any variety, so this is a big hit for him, too. It is a forgiving recipe and I’ve added and substituted ingredients based on what I have on hand; it’s great for using items you might otherwise throw away like leftover wilting vegetables and stale bread (but I’ve also made it with all fresh ingredients when I’m craving it). It is even better the next day and becomes extra thick. Just writing about it makes me want to make this recipe again!

30 Minute Tuscan White Bean Soup — Short on time? This recipe is similar to the ribollita above, minus the addition of the bread. It is super fast to throw together and another great use for those leftover vegetables.

Vegan Lentil Soup — Lentils were one of Lion’s first foods. I loved that the lentils were small so I didn’t worry about him choking on them at five months old. He enjoys lentils to this day and putting it in soup is a bonus for him.

Shakshuka — I love a poached egg. One poached in tomato sauce is even better! I omit the green peppers because they’re not my favorite, but shakshuka with some crusty sourdough bread is a delicious dinner.

Oven Baked Tortilla Espanola — While I love tortilla espanola, I have had a hard time making the traditional version because I have trouble flipping it. I really like the simplicity of this oven baked version. To make things easier, sometimes I will use frozen potatoes. I also often season the potatoes with malt vinegar to give it more of a salt and vinegar flavor.

Quiche — Mr. Dolphin much prefers quiche to tortilla espanola and Lion loves to help mix the ingredients for quiche and push the pie crust in the dish. The great thing about quiche is that you can put pretty much anything in it and can make different versions easily. Note that the recipe link includes meat, but I have never actually made it this way! I use the basic recipe (with the cooking temperature and time plus the ratio of cream, eggs and cheese) then put in whatever vegetables I have on hand; Mr. Dolphin’s favorite is a summer squash version.

Tamagoyaki — Lion adores egg block and Mr. Dolphin enjoys flavored eggs of any kind (particularly oyakodon, though that involves chicken). It’s really simple to make (though my version is never as pretty as the pictures) and so delicious! We serve it with rice and either a cucumber or seaweed salad. It also keeps well overnight for a quick item to throw into Lion’s lunchbox in the morning.

Green Goddess Mac and Cheese — This macaroni and cheese recipe uses spinach and parsley, adding a little bit more nutritional value to a classic dish. I like to add artichoke hearts so it ends up being more like a spinach and artichoke dip version of macaroni and cheese. It gets two thumbs up from Mr. Dolphin, but Lion doesn’t like it very much because he’s not a fan of macaroni and cheese (despite loving cheese and loving pasta). It’s not the healthiest thing, nor does it have as much protein as the other items on the list, but it’s a fun alternative.

Baked Tofu — We love making these baked tofu cubes or sticks because they make a great, flavorful snack on their own. We also use them to top salads or add to soba noodles with some Chinese broccoli for a full meal. By marinating the tofu in advance, the tofu really absorbs the flavors of the marinade and the baking gives it a great texture.

Tofu Scramble — I’ve never made this recipe before, but it looks delicious. I love tofu, but usually either just have a block of silken tofu with a little bit of soy sauce or get the extra firm tofu and throw it into a stir fry. This is something different and because it looks very similar to scrambled eggs with vegetables. I could see Lion enjoying it.

Tofu Parmigiana — While I enjoy eggplant parmesan, it doesn’t have a ton of protein. Here’s a version using tofu, instead, and it gets good reviews. I’m looking forward to trying it out.

Easy Navy Bean Bread — So this one isn’t a full meal, unlike the rest of the items on this list. It’s also not something I’ve made before, but I’ve had it bookmarked to try because of Lion’s love of bread. It’s always nice to be able to make one of his favorite foods have a little more nutritional value, especially on days when he all he wants to eat are carbs and vegetables.

What are your favorite high-protein vegetarian meals?