Okay, I eat too much meat, and I’d like to change that.
My big problem is lunch. I only have a half hour to eat, so going out is not really an option. Our ‘lunch room’ has table/chairs and a sink. Oh, and a tv. And three big file cabinets, and some piles of Banker Boxes.
But no vending machines, no fridge, and no microwave. So it pretty much comes down to a sandwich.
But I’d like some more options. So far I’ve got:
It’s probably not practical for the specific purpose you are looking for, (it would get too soggy) but if you are looking for a tasty veg. sandwich option for the next time you are at a good Italian deli, try an eggplant parmesan hero.
Peanut butter & jelly.
For something a bit fancier, grilled red bell peppers & onions with provolone on a roll spread with pesto.
Cream cheese and sliced olives on dark rye.
Cheddar and provolone hero with thinly sliced bell pepper, cucumber, lettuce, tomato (I ask for spicy mustard and a splash of oil and vinegar when I order this at Jersey Mike’s)
The ingredients for cold pizza would make a great spread. Mix a packet of Italian dressing with a block of cream cheese. Spread on precooked pizza crust (or bread) and top with thinly sliced raw veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper, corn (frozen,uncooked works great), red onion and sprinkle with shredded Swiss cheese. The seasoning in the dressing is absorbed by the veggies overnight and the result is very savory.
Cheese and eggs aren’t exactly the most vegetarian vegetarian options I’ve seen.
Some stuff I put on sandwiches:
Hummus.
Avocado.
Sun dried tomatoes.
Olives.
Lots of vegetables. Lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, red onions, bell peppers, zucchini, whatever.
Avocado makes a great veggie sandwich meat substitute. Add sliced cucumbers, onion, tomato, sprouts, mayo or dressing, and you’re set. For vegetarian sandwiches, though, I prefer pb&j.
The Tofurkey brand has a wide variety of fake lunch meat. I am not a huge fan, but i am satisfied with cheese or hummus as my 2 sandwich options. I have been a veg for 20 yrs and I love sandwiches… But only fresh ones.
If you do make a hummus sandwich, toast the bread. It makes a difference.
Yeah, it’s been my experience that lunch is the real bitch for vegans/vegetarians. Now that eggs are back in the hot seat again, I’ve stopped eating yolks, which makes the problem even worse. My go-to lunch now is sammy, chips, and veggie sticks. Right now I’m relying on grilled cheese or hummus for the sammies; I’m also having trouble coming up with fresh ideas. I’ll bump the thread if I think of something, though. There’s a way to make a faux egg salad out of garbanzo beans that tastes astonishingly close to the real thing; it’s popular on vegan message boards. I’ve fed it to people and they actually thought it was egg salad. Unfortunately, I’ve only successfully made it once, and have never been able to duplicate it; it’s one of those rare recipes that you have to make exactly right or it just isn’t the same. You have to mash the beans exactly the right way or the texture comes out wrong and it becomes obvious that you’re eating beans.
You could always go with a cold grain or noodle-based salad as the main entrée (think tabouli), with steamed, raw, or pickled veggies on the side. Learning to love kimchi solves a lot of problems in this regard. You don’t even need a Thermos jar for it; it’s fine at room temperature for quite a while.
One think i got into for a while is baking tofu. If you cut it into quarter inch slabs and then bake it with spices and flavors, they will keep all week in the fridge wrapped in foil and ziplock bags.
Braggs liquid Aminos is a good ingredient to use. Bake with Braggs, olive oil, onions and thyme @350 uncovered so they dry out. I cant give an exact time but you want them a little dry and chewy. Braggs adds an Umami component that is highly satisfying and adds to the protein intake.
Use that baked tofu for a sandwich topping. A lb will last a week. Top with mustard or vegannaise and vegetables.
There are several brands of fake meat sandwich slices available. My local Albertson’s carries 3 kinds, but the Lightlife Smart Deli ones are my favorite.
Falafel sandwiches rock.
Portobello mushrooms are your friends.
And remember, you’re actually better off without all that bread. Bread contains lots of salt and lots of carbs. It’s easy to take all those ingredients that go into a sandwich and make a salad instead. Plus, if you make a salad, you can add these bacon bits which contain no meat.
Vegetarian sandwiches I eat on a regular basis:
-Bahn mi with tempeh (Tempeh strips with cucumber, carrot, mayo, pepper, jalepeno, cilantro, banh mi sauce I get at the store)
-Tempeh Reuben (probably not the healthiest, I buy the tempeh strips in the refrigerated produce section)
-Hummus wrap (hummus with onion, lettuce, tomato)
-V’egg salad sandwich, can add sprouts and tomato for variety
-Tomato with mozzarella and basil. Add zucchini slices for more oomph. (best on ciabatta)
-Greek-style veggie (basically a lettuce/tomato/cucumber/onion on a sub roll with feta and olives added, yellow peppers)
-The PACT - Pesto, Avocado, Cheese, Fake Turkey, maybe a tomato
I’ve been on a big veggie wrap kick.
Large tortilla, roasted red pepper hummus, provolone, romaine, fresh spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, tomato and avocado - topped with a bit of yogurt ranch dressing.
Really good, and my (very carnivorous!) coworkers drool over them every day during their assembly.
This is one of my favourite sandwiches!
This tortilla filling will last all week. Make from fresh ingredients or open cans.
1 can black beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 pint Pico de gallo from deli or produce section (or dice tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, garlic. Squirt of lime and add cilantro if it doesn’t taste like soap to you)
Stir together and let stand overnight in fridge. I like this on a tortilla with baby spinach and shredded cheese.
Echoing Bo’s portabella mushroom…It fits and FILLS the bill! It is also quite yummy.
Sun dried tomatoes actually work really well as the “meat” in a sandwich. Sometimes I’ll make a vegetarian Reuben with sun dried tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms instead of the corned beef.
Just slices of cucumber on buttered white bread with a little bit of salt.
I’d take the buttered salted bread and have the cucumber separate ready to make up the sandwich at the last minute, cucumber can make the bread soggy if left too long.
When I was veg, my go-to sandwiches were:
Remember that fake meat isn’t the enemy, nor is it supposed to be real meat. It is it’s own substance, to be enjoyed for its own merits.
I don’t see why you can’t also have salads, especially if you acquire an icepack. You can also do farmer’s lunches of cheese, nuts, bread and fruit.
Yep, that’s exactly what I was talking about. I forgot that they call it ‘mock tuna’ on veggie message boards, because to me it tastes just like egg salad, not tuna salad. But that’s the recipe. I noticed in the pic that they’re using the ‘radiator’ type of potato masher. That’s the ticket right there. If you don’t use that type of masher, the texture comes out wrong. When mine got rusty and had to be discarded, I bought another type that has holes instead of the type that looks like a radiator grille. It just didn’t work—it just mashes the beans wrong and it somehow changes the texture and flavor and makes it obvious that you’re eating garbanzo beans. Try as I might, I just can’t find one of those old-style potato mashers anywhere.