500-calorie vegan dinner menus?

Hello all!

I have been vegetarian for over 16 years and have been eating vegan the past 2 months.  My weight loss has stalled completely and so I am bringing some structure to my daily eating....spreading my calories more evenly through all my meals....

I am curious to hear what 500 cal vegan dinners some of you are eating out there.  Breakfast and lunch are no-brainers for me...however I am finding it more challenging to come up with a 500 cal vegan dinner...what are your thoughts? 

Thanks in advance!!

these are less than 500 cal. but i tend to eat light dinners usually because i have ballet afterwards and i feel sluggish if i eat alot.  usually something like:

baked white potato with pepper and a tbsp of nutritional yeast

big salad with whatever vegetables i happen to have with various toppings--soy cheese and italian dressing, black beans and salsa, chickpeas and mushrooms, etc.

plain boca vegan patty with steamed vegetables on the side

quesadilla made with rice or soy cheese

whole wheat pita with fillings like black beans and corn or hummus and tomato

then i eat a cup of zensoy pudding or have some fruit.

Alaina---

Thanks for sharing that with me.  It helps even in simplifying---it helps if I have a few things to choose from---pick them out ahead of time and not worry about running around after work/gym trying to figure out what to eat.

My goal 1700 cals a day and I want to keep dinner on the lighter side so this helps!  thx!!!!

Pretty much any soup... I made potato leek soup last week and a serving has less than 200 calories.  Add a salad and maybe a bread or some other veggies/fruits to get to 500 calories.  You can also make soup from pretty much any leftover veggies in your fridge.

Also quinoa is good - search on cc for some recipes... very low in calories and you can throw a lot of veggies into it to make it even more nutritious.  It's good hot or cold.

1. Rice, dal, vegetable curry
   
2. Rice, vegetable and tofu stir-fry
   
3. Spag bol (TVP, mushroom, onion, tomato) or pasta with lentil sauce
   
4. Large salad with nuts and seeds
   
5. Bulgur wheat, cous cous, rice or pasta with various beans and various veggies
   
6. Chilli or ratatouille with baked sweet potato, small salad

Those are the kind of things I usually eat (I like carbs, as you can see!) and my tea is nearly always under 600kcal. It's about portion control more than what you eat, in my opinion!

At least 3 times a week I have a bean/grain/vegetable combo.  I prepare this in a saute pan.  It a serving each of any cooked grain and any cooked bean or lentil, combined with whatever vegetables I want.  I add seasonings according to my mood and moisten it with home made vegetable broth.

A favorite is white beans, whole wheat pasta and spinach.  The seasoning is fresh italian herbs and garlic.

Another is chickpea curry with brown rice and cauliflower.  This one has tomato paste as part of the sauce.

Also, black beans with salsa and peppers, served with fresh corn tortillas.  I get my tortillas from a Mexican grocery store.

There are so many variations I never get bored.

Last week, I made a red curry stew.  It's is simply veggie broth, 1-2 T. red curry paste (Thai Garden will do), and a bag of frozen stir fry veggies.  I eat that over rice.  Very filling. 

I've followed someone else's advice on this forum and bake potatoes once a week.  I then have them in the fridge during the week for a quick starch.  I like salsa and nutritional yeast on a potato.  Simple, and tasty. 

I usually make a crockpot of soup/stew every weekend.  Currently, I have a batch of vegan chili and roasted cauliflower soup in the freezer.  Most vegan chilis have less than 500 calories if you eat a reasonable portion.  I find it to be very filling.  Sometimes, I'll have a half portion of veggie chili over a baked potato. 

One of my fav dinners is my mexican salad. 1 cup black beans, 1/2 avocado, romaine, red peppers and mango salsa to top it off. I am always SO FULL after eating, that I feel like I ate alot, but it is under 500 cal's.

Oh my goodness...I just checked back in and I am exicted about all the ideas you all have shared!  Thanks a bunch...everything sounds so delish!

I often get into the rut of eating much of the same things week to week...I need to mix it up----thx!!!!

I'm in love with soba noodles right now. I cup is about 113 calories. Stir fry some vegetables and tofu with some garlic and ginger and some peppers or whatever you like to go on top. Throw a little Braggs liquid aminos for a soy sauce taste.

I also eat quiona and beans frequently with salad or green vegetables on the side.

I also like tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado or veganaise in whole wheat or spelt pita. Very low cal. You might even need to add a piece of fruit or a salad to make it up to 500 cals.

I love to snack on edamame, too. 

Ditto on the spelt bread sandwich. I had a spelt bread with avocado, tomatos, red onion and vegenaise the other day. It was SOOO good!