These frugal meatless dinner ideas are tasty, hearty and won’t break the bank!
If you’re hoping to add some fresh new recipes to your meal plan and find some new favorites to put into rotation, you’ll love these recipes below. Not only are they meatless dinner ideas that are delicious and satisfying, but they’re easy on the wallet too! From stews, soups and chilis to buddha bowls and tacos, these meatless dinner ideas won’t disappoint.
Benefits Of Eating Meatless Meals
I’ll admit, I love eating meatless meals. In most cases, they are so much easier to make, and it saves me time. Life is busy, and if I can save time in the kitchen, then I am going to call that a win. We are not vegetarians, we just try to cut back on meals with meat here and there.
- Eating meatless meals will save you lots of money. It’s amazing how expensive all sorts of meats are. Typically, we just head to the store and grab what we want. But when you look over your receipts, it’s almost shocking how quickly things add up when you are buying lots of meat.
- Another benefit of eating meals without meat is that you will be not just eating something delicious, but healthy too. The nutrients you get from foods that are based on fruits and vegetables are so good for you. You can feel great about munching on healthy food and feeding it to your family. Eating meatless allows you to eat lower calorie food with a lot less fat. One of the most important benefits is the fact it will lower your heart disease and you may just lose a few pounds too!
Steps to Go Meatless
Going from being a complete carnivore to eating a plant based diet is drastic and I understand that. But I am going to give you a couple of tips and tricks our family used to eating LESS meat on a weekly basis. Like I said, we are not vegetarian but we are wanting to eat more plant based meals.
Step One: Start off by going meatless for one day a week for a month or two. If that sounds like it is too much, step back a bit further and just do Meatless Monday dinners for a month or two first. The key is to START!
Note: Habits take around 30 days to form. Since you are only doing this once a week for 4-6 weeks, it may take longer for you to adjust to the one day a week.
Step Two: Once you feel comfortable making the meatless meals once a week on a consistent basis, move on to try to get two days a week in. This process I found much harder and still need to work on it all the time. I grew up eating beef all the time so this switch is a challenge, but I am motivated to keep on track.
Step Three: Once Step Two is done, make your own next goal to go meatless. Decide if you want two or three days a week or are you trying to go full time. Also do a self assessment to see if you are better to go “cold turkey” (the irony of that saying isn’t lost on me!) and go all in vs the gradual method. As long as you are reaching the goal, it is all right!
Meatless Meals
How to Make the Easiest Crock Pot Black Bean Soup {WW 6 Green, 1 Green + Purple Pts, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}
Black bean soup is so hearty and filling. I love that you can top it with all sorts of things like fresh avocado, tomatoes, and even salsa. You don’t have to worry about a lack of flavor with this soup!
Mexican Vegan Tacos - Lentil Tacos
Whether you are having an easy weeknight dinner or hosting a fancy dinner party, these vegan lentil tacos are sure to be a huge hit!
Black Bean Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes {WW 3 Purple, 5 Blue, 6 Green, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}
These stuffed sweet potatoes not only have incredible flavor, but they also look positively stunning too. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner. Serve with a fresh garden salad to round out the meal, and you’ll have it made.
Cauliflower Broccoli Soup
If you have never had roasted cauliflower soup, you’ve been missing out. When you roast the soup, it takes on such an amazing flavor. Try it, and you will be so glad you did.
Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce Recipe
This vegan spaghetti sauce is seriously one of the easiest recipes ever. You can add it to pasta, a baked potato, or add it to some bread.
Meatless Meals Again
Cauliflower Chilli
Yum, yum, yum! Cauliflower chili is delicious, customizable, and simple to make. You can feed a large group of people or save some for leftovers.
Stewed Chickpeas {WW 1 Purple, 2 Blue, 7 Green, Vegetarian, Vegan}
Chickpeas are full of healthy nutrients your body craves like folate, iron, protein, and fiber. It’s just an added bonus that they are inexpensive and taste great too.
Mediterranean Rice
Eating food with a Mediterranean flair like this rice adds lots of yummy flavors to your diet. It’s meat-free and absolutely irresistible.
Quick and Easy Vegan Buddha Bowl
This recipe for a vegan buddha bowl is so quick and easy. It’s fantastic for having a meatless dinner idea and you can add all your favorite ingredients to make it extra special.
Easy Cheesy Stuffed Shells With Spinach
These stuffed shells are superb and make the best dinner. Serve them with some fresh garlic bread or breadsticks and some salad. It’s a meal fit for a king!
Meatless Meals
How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Vegetarian Taco Soup Freezer Friendly {WW 5 Green, 1 Blue+Purple Points, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}
If you are looking for a basically hands-off recipe, this taco soup is ideal. You don’t have to put in a lot of effort, but it cooks in the slow cooker all day, and the result is breathtaking. Plus, it’s wonderful for meal planning too.
Slow Cooker Lentil Sweet Potato Chili
The sweet potatoes in this lentil chili take it to a whole new level of amazing. The subtle sweetness is scrumptious, and it’s hard to say no to seconds.
Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas {WW 2 Purple, 3 Blue, 6 Green, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}
Fill up with this Puerto Rican Habichulelas Guisadas, and you’ll be amazed that it doesn't even have any meat. It’s so flavorful you’ll never even miss it.
Fill a Bowl of this Hearty Sweet Potato Curry and Tuck in for Some YUM
Dinner parties and weeknight dinners just got a whole lot tastier with this sweet potato curry. It’s great for feeding a hungry crowd too.
Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe {2 Purple, 2 Green, 5 Green, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}
We eat this cauliflower fried rice as a side dish all the time, but on occasion, we will make it the main course. You can’t resist that divine flavor. Plus, you wouldn’t even know it’s cauliflower and not rice if you hadn’t made it yourself.
More Dinner Ideas
- Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Minestrone Soup
- Broccoli Stir Fry
- Keto Mashed Cauliflower
- Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
- 25 Cheap Vegetarian Meals
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