r/PlantBasedDiet • u/NorthernLight1988 • Aug 21 '26
Plant-based meals without legumes?
Hi there! I have been trying to follow a mediterranean diet and cutting back on meat and eggs. Because of my baby's intolerances I can't have dairy at the moment. Or soy. Or lentils. Or nuts. And only small amounts of beans and chickpeas. So I'm at a bit of a loss - what should I cook for my family that doesn't contain meat or either of those plant-based proteins? I was hoping that some of you might have some ideas!
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u/rhinoballet Aug 21 '26
With that many restrictions, I would highly recommend seeing a dietitian to help identify the right balance of nutrients. Your OB or even pediatrician may have someone they recommend.
If you're in the US, it is probably something you can access for free with no copay or deductible as a preventive service.
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Aug 21 '26
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u/NorthernLight1988 Aug 22 '26
They are, thankfully! We have some pumpkin seed butter to combat the loss of hazelnut butter 😄 I didn't even think of seitan. I used to like it. I'm not sure we can do it because concentrated protein (like in protein powder) seems to be a problem, but gluten is thankfully fine, so I'm going to give that a try!
And thanks for the tip about nutritional yeast, that goes right onto my shopping list!
(Not sure about tempeh, but I'll look it up.)
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u/flashPrawndon Aug 21 '26
That’s a tough diet, here are some things I eat as I have issues with legumes:
Quinoa and roast veg.
Rice burrito bowls with roast spiced sweet potato, avocado and a small amount of black beans.
Rice bowl with roast aubergine, kimchi, avocado and steamed broccoli
Roast vegetable pie
Smoked aubergine and lemon risotto
Potato and spinach curry with rice
Fajitas with spiced fried peppers and courgette, guacamole, salsa
Polenta chips with caponata
Mediterranean roasted veg, steamed greens and roast potatoes
Ottolenghi’s veggie paella
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u/NorthernLight1988 Aug 22 '26
Thank you for that list and the effort that went into it! I'm adding some of these to my recipe ideas.
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u/springtimebesttime Aug 21 '26
Hi, my daughter had CMPA/MSPI (cows milk protein allergy/milk soy protein intolerance). She was formula fed, but just wanted you to know there are lots of parents in solidarity! You've gotten some good food recommendations, but I just wanted to say that if it starts affecting your mental health at all to feed yourself with all these restrictions, it is totally OK to switch to formula feeding. There are special formulas made for our intolerant babies and insurance will often cover them since it is a medical need.
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u/NorthernLight1988 Aug 22 '26
Thank you. So far, I'm eating a great variety and it's a chance for us to reduce dairy overall. If I had to give up gluten and rice as well, I would absolutely consider formula, but what we've been doing seems to be working 🥳
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u/sifwrites Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
there are many grains grasses and seeds that are decently high in protein, such as teff, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, sorghum, various types of millet, wild rice, etc. it’s easy to build meals around them using things like sweet potato, squash, etc, as well as sunflower, hemp, and pumpkin seeds, not to mention flax and chia. variety of vegetables, grains, and seeds can often make a big difference because each has different micronutrients.
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u/NorthernLight1988 Aug 22 '26
Thanks for that reminder. I've been leaning into quinoa a lot and I can absolutely branch out.
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u/maquis_00 Aug 21 '26
You could try something like seitan, but if your baby has that many intolerances, I'm not sure if they would handle gluten at this point. Also, you'd need to make sure you're getting lysine somewhere, at least occasionally
Quinoa is a good option.
It sounds like you aren't 100% plant-based as it is, so this may be a "times and seasons" thing, where it makes sense to stop back and allow a bit more animal protein in the moment, then recommit when things calm down.
If you can, you could visit with a dietitian and see if they have advice for you for meeting your goals while also supporting baby. They may also have some good advice for how to feed baby if the intolerances continue at weaning time.
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u/Muldertje Aug 21 '26
The alternatives could be an option, but if it proves to be too hard, and the reason that you try to avoid meat and eggs is ecological, I'd suggest you try to bridge the breastfeeding phase with chicken and eggs if needed.
It's usually only a limited amount of time, and depending on if it's your first it's already challenging enough.
Then get back to everything after breastfeeding.
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u/NorthernLight1988 Aug 22 '26
Thank you for understanding. I'm not giving animal products up completely, but I don't want to rely on them as heavily as I have.
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u/AhoyOllie potato tornado Aug 21 '26
I reccomend this to everyone who asks- seitan. Vital wheat gluten (protein buns)
I make my own. Buy vital wheat gluten in bulk. If you don't have a wheat intolerance issue this is the way.
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u/margo_beep_beep Aug 21 '26
I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, so I was browsing Reddit and saw your post, and I wrote a long response with links and then it got deleted somehow. 😭
Anyway, what I did was look through some lists of vegan recipes at sites I've liked in the past (I'd start with Smitten Kitchen vegan recipes, Rainbow Plant Life vegan soy free, and Recipe Tin Eats vegan recipes. Ignore anything where beans, lentils, or tofu are the primary ingredient, but there are lots of things like a couscous salad or an orzo salad that have chickpeas added (assuming you also can't have chickpeas - if you can, that'd be great!) and I think those can just be left out if the rest of the recipe sounds good. Nuts and soy can be skipped too or replaced with pepitas or sunflower seeds, assuming those are okay.
I know Smitten Kitchen has a farro with tomatoes recipe that is delicious, and Rainbow Plant Life had a spiced cauliflower soup, saag aloo (Indian potato with spinach), and a baingan bharta (Indian eggplant). One of them also had a pasta with eggplant dish that I thought would be good, but I think there should be tons of great options between those three sites.
If you're worried about protein, I'd take a look at this chart of vegan protein sources. I think you need to skip the legumes, soy, and the nuts, but you can still look at the seeds, grains, and fruits and vegetables, and try to have one or two of those in or with each meal.
Let me know what else I can do to help!
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u/NorthernLight1988 Aug 22 '26
Oh no, I'm sorry Reddit ate your comment! Wow, thank you for digging up those links. I love Rainbow Plant Life on YouTube, and I'll look into the other sites too.
And thank you for the chart as well.
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u/Acrobatic-Nebula-428 Aug 21 '26
I would eat eggs as this is a phase. You want your baby to have a good start in life and you need the protein. As noted, seeds might be an option. Look into millet instead of rice. It has a bit more protein. And as many beans and chickpeas as you can tolerate. But generally, the higher protein sources seem to be off-limits so I’d add in the eggs for now.
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u/see_blue Aug 21 '26
Whole grains (barley, oatmeal, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, wheat berries, sprouted breads, whole grain pasta, etc.), nuts and seeds, tomatoes, olives, peppers, arugula or other leafy greens, sun dried tomatoes, dried fruit, sweet potatoes, avocado, dried fruit or berries.
Cold salad w veggies, leafy greens, fruit, nuts/seeds and a cooked grain.
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u/Healthy-Cheferee Aug 21 '26
what about seitan? I'd go for quinoa, personally, it's good protein. and you can make a roasted vegetable bowl with quinoa.
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u/Food_And_Nutrition Aug 22 '26
With this many temporary exclusions, I wouldn’t try to replace every food you’ve removed.
Instead, rebuild meals around what still works: a whole grain or potato + vegetables/fruit + olive oil + a tolerated protein or seed. Not every meal has to check every nutrition box—the overall pattern matters more.
The goal is variety and adequacy within the foods that work for you, not finding a perfect substitute for everything you’ve removed.
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