It’s a way to teach yourself to eat intuitively that benefits your overall health, improve energy levels, reduce hunger and promote sustainable weight loss.
Eating a vegetarian diet already requires you to carefully plan out your meals to ensure you get enough protein, fiber, fats, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Adding in intermittent fasting might seem like it could make it even more of a challenge.
In reality, with 2 Meal Day intermittent fasting, you might be eating less throughout the day, but following a vegetarian intermittent fasting plan can ensure you are getting the right amount of nutrients in.
I’ve worked with hundreds of clients one-on-one to create a healthy vegetarian meal plan that allows them to reach their goals sustainably and maintain them for life.
Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy for Vegetarians?
One question many people following a vegetarian lifestyle ask is if intermittent fasting is a healthy option for them. Intermittent fasting and the vegetarian lifestyle both offer numerous health benefits.
A vegetarian diet has been shown to improve heart health, reduce the risk of cancer, lower blood pressure, and prevent diabetes. Combine that with the benefits of intermittent fasting, and you have a powerful diet that can optimize your health, help you lose weight, and prevent diseases.
When you live a vegetarian lifestyle, it’s easy to miss out on key nutrients essential to your health. While not as challenging as a vegan diet, you need to eat a healthy mix of foods to promote healthy and sustainable weight loss.
The more restrictive your diet is, the harder it is to achieve proper nutrition. Poor nutrition can cause you to struggle with your weight, cause fatigue, put you at risk for diseases, and create mental fog.
With intermittent fasting, you eat fewer meals, so it’s even more essential to plan accordingly.
Any meal plan you decide on must include proteins, fats, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to ensure you eat a balanced diet.
Recommended Meal Plans for a Vegetarian Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan
Eating a vegetarian diet and intermittent fasting can be achieved when you eat mindfully, choose colorful fruits and vegetables, and choose protein with every meal.
My recommendation for an ideal meal plan includes two meals and an optional snack in between to help you ensure you get the nutrients you need.
The snack in between your 2 meals a day is often more important if you are particularly active.
If your goals are to lose weight, eat healthier, and improve your health, tracking your calories and macros through an app could be a good way to make sure you are getting the right amount of nutrition in.
The below meals are taken from my Intermittent Fasting Short Course. You can access over 120 recipes and learn everything you need to know about intermittent fasting for free.
Courgette, Mint & Feta Fritters (2 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 5 Courgettes, Grated
- 50g Feta, Crumbled
- 1 Handful Fresh Mint, Chopped
- 2 Eggs C
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
Instructions:
- Grate the courgette, squeeze out all the excess water, and add to a bowl.
- Add the mint, feta, and eggs and stir—season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan and add the coconut oil. Once thoroughly heated, add small batches and fry until golden brown.
Serve with your choice of greens.
Cheesy Nacho Roasted Chickpeas (2 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Handful Fresh Coriander, Chopped
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 50g cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 dollop of sour cream, optional
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C
- Cut 100 g of the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add in the drained and rinsed chickpeas, spices, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix thoroughly, then spread the mixture out evenly on a baking tray.
- Roast for around 30 minutes, tossing halfway, or until the chickpeas are nice and crispy.
While the mixture is roasting, roughly chop the remaining cherry tomatoes.
When the chickpeas are thoroughly roasted, add the chopped coriander, spring onions, chopped tomatoes, and grated cheese to the baking tray.
If the cheese doesn’t melt easily, return the pan to the oven for 1-2 more minutes until the mixture is gooey.
Serve with your choice of nacho-style toppings.
Chard, Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew (4 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large onion – chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 400g sweet potatoes – cut into medium chunks
- ½ tsp crushed chili flakes
- 400g can of tomato – chopped
- 140g salted, roasted peanuts
- 250g chard – washed and chopped roughly with stems and leaves
Instructions:
- Heat a large saucepan to medium and add the coconut oil.
- Add the onion and fry until lightly golden.
- Add in the cumin seeds until fragrant, about 1 min, then add the sweet potato, chili flakes, tomatoes, and 750ml water. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover and allow to simmer for 15 mins.
Meanwhile, add the peanuts to a food processor and finely ground them, stopping before it turns into peanut butter. Add the ground peanuts to the stew and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more salt if needed.
Near the end, stir in the chard and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with freshly ground pepper.
Gnocchi & Tomato Bake (4 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 500g gnocchi
- a handful of basil, roughly chopped
- 125g ball mozzarella, torn into chunks
Instructions:
- Start by preheating your grill to high. In a large frying pan, heat the oil.
- Add the onion and pepper to the pan and cook until soft.
- Stir in the garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add in the tomatoes and gnocchi, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is soft and the sauce has thickened.
Season and stir in the basil, then transfer to a large oven-proof dish. Top with the mozzarella, then bake for 5–6 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble and brown.
Summary
Many of my one on one coaching clients are vegetarian and they have great success following an intermittent fasting plan.
It can be a great way to lose weight, improve your energy levels and reduce overall hunger.
If you would like a full 7 day intermittent fasting meal plan, you should sign up for my intermittent fasting short course, it will teach you everything you need to know about intermittent fasting, and give you lots of inspiration for meal ideas.
Resources:
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/97/3/597/4571519
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23169929/