The benefits of a healthy diet cannot be overstated. It is obvious that a well-balanced diet is required to live a long and healthy life. This plan should fulfill you and prevent weight gain. It’s vital to understand what we eat and how many calories we burn. After all, it’s easy to eat a lot of calories without recognizing it. Here’s our view on what calories imply. For example, just as any machine requires fuel, our bodies require food to function. So food, solid or liquid, gives us calories. Calories are a type of energy unit. When your body digests food, it releases energy. Each food has a distinct calorie count. Despite this, each person’s daily calorie intake varies. Also, calorie needs vary by weight and life stage.

Getting enough calories and nutrients as a vegetarian to reduce weight or manage your health is difficult? Bingo! You’ve arrived.

Let’s start with the basics and work our way up to the 1500 calorie vegetarian diet.

 

Morning Snack 

Do you always get up early and look forward to breakfast? You are not alone.

A hint. 30 minutes after waking up, eat. Eating breakfast early keeps you energized all day and prevents headaches and food cravings.

If you wake up hungry, start eating small, frequent meals. Meals should be smaller but more frequently throughout the day. You may need to consume mid-meal snacks now. So keep your breakfast, lunch, and dinner modest and light. This tiny modification prevents overeating.

It’s also OK to stick to three main meals and no snacks. You can keep doing it. Listening to your body will help you determine what is best for you.

No matter how many meals you eat, make sure to include grains, legumes, lentils, vegetables, fruits, dairy, nuts, and oilseeds.

Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with 12 or 1 teaspoon of jaggery.

But eating anything from a packet is a no-no. So, avoid ordinary biscuits, muffins, and cereals.

 

Breakfast

Thinking about eating parathas, idli/dosa, or sprouts and veggies because they are “healthy”?

We recommend a classic breakfast menu. It could be idli, dosa, upma, poha, or anything else.

But remember to have your breakfast with sambhar, chutney, or curd. To make your poha or upma more filling, add some veggies. If you’re having parathas, load them with methi/spinach or paneer and leftover dal.

Portion dosas or parathas to 2 medium portions. Because they are little, you can eat three idlis. Consume one bowl of sambhar/curd and 2-3 tbsp of chutney.

Mid-Morning Snack 

You can have a healthy snack like buttermilk, coconut water with malai, or homemade lemonade. Adding a hydrating drink might also keep you satiated. It matters if you haven’t drunk enough water during your stressful workday.

If you haven’t eaten since waking up, a medium-sized fruit like a banana, apple, pear, or chicken can be your mid-morning snack.

Lunch

Keep your lunch light enough to avoid feeling drowsy or tired throughout the day, but heavy enough to prevent hunger after an hour.

It’s important to vary your lunch, especially if you’re working. For example, choose roti or rice. This prevents overeating and eating while distracted.

Rice, dal, and sabzi or rice, sambhar, and poriyal can be your lunch. These are necessary for calorie reduction. Dal, sambhar, and vegetables are a great mix. You can replace the rice with two rotis and the dal with choley, lobbies, rajma, or even curd. You can prepare veggies to your liking.

Use a decent fat source. I love ghee. You can also use curd instead of sambhar. These healthy fats will not only improve the taste of your food but also help you feel filled longer.

 

 

Evening Snack 

Evening snacks can be as simple as fruit and nuts. 8-10 almonds, pistachios, or cashews, for example. Preparing your body for an early dinner is recommended.

If you eat a late and light dinner, aim for a bigger and more nutritious nighttime snack. This will also help you avoid overeating at dinner.

You can have cooked corn, sweet potatoes, or puffed rice chaat with onions, tomatoes, and carrots. Curd/yogurt with dry fruits and almonds is another alternative. Eat only one cup of each.

You can also have one portion of multigrain bread with veggies. The portion should be small to maintain energy levels and help you function well in the afternoon.

 

Dinner

Dinner can be like lunch. If you have dinner an hour before night, we recommend you consume only half your lunch.

If you have a 2–3 hour window between supper and bedtime, go ahead and eat with your family. Don’t limit portion sizes. In this instance, keep your nighttime snacks light.

 

Bedtime

According to your preferences, you can take a cup of turmeric-pepper milk before bedtime.

 

Overview

Eating attentively always benefits you long-term. Keeping track of your daily calorie intake may sound difficult, but it isn’t. Calorie control isn’t rocket science. And you don’t have to go crazy to stay fit, lose weight, or maintain your health.

If you’re trying to lose weight, become fit, or get enough sleep, you need to listen to your body. There is no hard and fast rule on how much and what frequencies you should eat. To reduce weight, you don’t have to eat every two hours or fast. Instead, a few dietary changes can be hugely beneficial.

That was the 1500 calorie vegetarian diet plan. We hope this helped you plan your meals and educated you on the science behind healthy nutrition and good health.