A list of great ideas for meatless meals to try that the whole family will love! Easy plant based recipes for Meatless Monday, Lent, eating better, and conscience eating, plus are kid friendly! Even your biggest carnivore won’t notice the meat is missing.
Surprisingly as a professional food blogger people love talking to me about food, shocker right?! And lately I have been hearing A LOT about families wanting to eat less meat and more plants.
Every person and family has various reasons for wanting to eat less meat whether it is for health, diet, money, conscience eating, or a combination.
The one thing I do know is that it can be pretty hard to find a place to start when you are used to planning meals around meat. So I put a list together of all of my best meatless meal ideas plus a couple from some blogger friends!
From refried beans, to soups, to tacos there is something for everyone!
Ideas For Meatless Meals
This tortilla soup is a perfect meatless meal, full of beans and vegetables to keep you full plus kids love that you get chips to eat it with!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Tortilla Soup is a hearty and delicious vegetarian soup made in the crockpot using canned goods and fresh ingredients. Easy to dump and go, this soup will become a regular in your meal rotation!
Everyone loves tacos so they are a great place to start when introdicing meatless meals to the family! Red lentils provide a great texture similar to taco meat plus lentils have a ton of health benefits!
This easy Red Lentil Tacos Recipe is the perfect weeknight meatless meal that the whole family will love! An easy Vegetarian Taco Meat is ready to eat in under 30 minutes, making it a simple, quick, and healthy meal.
Shakshuka is a fun new food to indroduce to the family, full of beans and egss for plenty of protien this recipe can be made for breakfast or dinner!
This Easy Shakshuka with Spinach Recipe isn’t just for breakfast, it is a great 20 minute meatless dinner option too! Eggs are poached in a flavorful tomato sauce made from canned tomatoes, beans, and fresh spinach and then topped with feta cheese. This meal is so easy to make you will have it on your breakfast and dinner rotation!
This is a personal family favorite for when we are short on time! Ready in 10 minutes the comfort of nachos you love but keeping you full with nutritious black beans!
This easy Black Bean Nachos Recipe is the perfect weeknight meal. These nachos are topped with black beans, cheese, and loaded with toppings, plus they are cooked in less than 10 minutes. You can have your family fed a delicious and healthy meal in almost no time!
This one is FILLED with vegetables! And a great sheet pan option for a meatless meal!
This Baked Gnocchi Recipe is easy to throw together with inexpensive store bought gnocchi and a ton of fresh healthy vegetables! Baked gnocchi is crunchy yet tender and the roasted veggies become a delicious sauce like pairing, topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil you will find yourself making this dinner on the regular!
You can make these deliciously healthy pea and sweet corn fritters with just a few pantry and freezer staples. Great for lunch boxes or simple dinners. These quick and easy fritters will be ready in 30 minutes.
My kid's favorite part of any Mexican resturant meal was always the refried beans, so I figured I could develop a great healthy version to make at home, and let me tell you they turned out better than I could imagine! I like to serve mine with my Mexican Rice, I also like to include either chips for dipping, a simple cheese quesadilla, or spread on top of tostadas for a full meal that your family will love!
Better than a restaurant, these refried beans are a healthy meatless meal made easy in the slow cooker with only a few ingredients and no 're-frying' required.
I love making this during the summer as a meatless grilling meal! My kids love the way the chickpeas and tomatoes taste grilled, served over quinoa it makes a great summer dinner!
This chickpea salad recipe kicks it up another level, it’s GRILLED! Blow away those typical Chickpea Salads with Feta and upgrade to your new favorite bean salad. This salad is full of delicious chickpeas, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and more. Tossed and grilled in a basket to make an amazing vegetarian meal addition to your summer table!
This dish is called Poor Man’s Pasta in our house but you may know this as the spaghetti aglio olio, or pasta with garlic (aglio) and oil (olio). It only takes 15 minutes to make and is perfect for a weeknight meal.
The whole family will LOVE this soup. A veggie packed soup with the familiar taste of chicken noodle and comforts of rice. Serve with a simple side salad to complete the meal.
Perfect for a light meal or a side dish this simple vegetable rice soup is made with classic vegetables, chicken broth, and rice. Reminiscent of chicken noodle soup but simpler and lighter.
You are either someone who hates or loves mushrooms but I had to include this baked potato recipe! Baked potaotes in general, including this one are a great meatless option for your family dinner!
Baked potatoes stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese and a simple mushroom spinach sauce, this meatless meal is ready to eat in just minutes.
Another easy dump and go meatless crockpot option. This is a big batch so perfect for a family meal plus little kids LOVE the tubular pasta!
Easy to throw into the slow cooker, this soup simmers all day long and is full of healthy vegetables and beans! A delicious and filling meatless meal!
For the adventurous family, a fun one-pot quinoa dish! My husband claims that this is the meal that turned him on to the idea of eating more meatless meals!
A perfect meatless weeknight meal featuring quinoa, black beans, and lots of fresh vegetables. All made in one pot and ready to eat in 40 minutes!
Stuffed with a combination of fresh spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, these Three Cheese Stuffed Shells are an easy-to-make classic family favorite!
You cannot go wrong with tomato soup and grilled cheese! Everybody loves it!
A warm and cozy spin off of tomato soup this roasted red pepper and tomato soup boasts a big flavor from roasting the vegetables before putting them into the soup, perfect for a chilly night and pairing with your favorite grilled cheese sandwiches. Pair this soup with my Pesto Grilled Cheese for a full meal!
Need some side dishes to go with these meals?? Check these out:
- Roasted Broccoli
- Simple Spinach Salad
- Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower
- Roasted Carrots with Dill
- How to Make Quinoa in the Pressure Cooker
- How to Make Rice on the Stovetop
And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!
Lauren, The Schmidty Wife
Please note that my links above may be affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. I recommend them because they are helpful, and are companies that I trust, not because of the commissions that I may earn from you using these products.
With the indulgence of Christmas passing I am SO ready for some of these meatless recipes. Just pinned it for future use!