Dining out can certainly form part of a balanced Flexitarian Diet – so long as you opt for the healthier options and stick to the challenge (2 x vegetarian meals and 1 x meat based meal).
It is often assumed that all vegetarian meals are automatically healthy. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. Take hot chips for example – a vegetarian option – but certainly not the healthiest.
There are however a bunch of vegetarian meals for each cuisine that are generally considered healthy choices.
We’ve compiled a list of preferred vegetarian meal choices and vegetarian meals to choose sparingly that you can refer to when ordering at a restaurant!
Thai
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Steamed spring rolls
- Tom yum soup
- Salads e.g. papaya salad
- Stir fry with tofu, vegetables and brown rice
- Pad thai with extra vegetables
- Vegetable curry with tofu, extra vegetables and brown rice
Choose Sparingly:
- Deep fried entrees (e.g. spring rolls, money bags)
- Satay dishes
- Fried noodle dishes
- Fried rice
Japanese
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Tofu or vegetable brown rice sushi
- Edamame
- Miso soup
- Tofu poke bowl
- Seaweed salad
- Brown rice
- Miso eggplant
- Nori seaweed
- Agedashi tofu
Choose Sparingly:
- Tempura vegetables
- Fried noodles
- Sushi with fried fillings
Chinese
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Broth based soups
- Steamed entrees (e.g. dumplings)
- Vegetable noodle soups
- Steamed veggies with tofu
- Vegetarian san choy bow
- Stir fried combinations e.g tofu with vegetables
- Stir fried egg noodle dishes with added vegetables
- Tofu in oyster sauce, black bean sauce, garlic and ginger
- Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce
- Mixed vegetables
Choose Sparingly:
- Deep fried entrees (e.g. spring rolls, fried wontons, dim sims)
- Fried rice
- Fried tofu
- Vegetable tempura dishes
- Crispy noodle dishes
Indian
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Vegetable entrees
- Wholemeal chapatis
- Vegetarian curry dishes with a tomato based sauce e.g. rogan josh
- Lentil, chickpea or vegetable dishes e.g. chana, lentil dahls, cauliflower
- Indian salads
- Basmati rice
Choose Sparingly:
- Deep fried fishes (e.g. samosas)
- Deep fried vegetables
- Naan bread
- Deep fried papadums
- Cream based curries
Vietnamese
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Broth based soup with vegetables and tofu (e.g. pho)
- Rice paper rolls
- Salads (e.g. vermicelli salad)
- Bahn Mi
- Brown Rice
- Mixed vegetables
Choose Sparingly:
- Deep fried dishes (e.g. spring rolls)
- Vietnamese iced coffee
- Cream based dishes
Mexican
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Bean chilli con carne
- Vegetarian burrito bowl
- Vegetarian burrito
- Guacamole
- Bean-based dishes
Choose Sparingly:
- Enchiladas
- Sour cream
- Loaded fries
- Nachos/corn chips
Italian
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Sourdough bread
- Pasta with tomato based sauces with vegetables or legumes
- Thin crust pizzas with plenty of vegetables
- Vegetable based dishes
- Salads
- Vegetable soups
Choose Sparingly:
- Garlic or herb bread
- Pasta with cream or butter sauces
- Risotto
- Creamy soups
- All fried dishes
Pub Food
Preferred Vegetarian Choices:
- Salads
- Tomato-based pasta
- Vegetable based dishes
- Roast vegetables
Choose Sparingly:
- Hot chips
- Deep fried dishes
- Ceasar salad
- Burgers
- Nachos