Make It Meatless
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Even if you consider yourself a newcomer to vegetarian cuisine, you’ve probably eaten your fair share of meatless dishes and never gave it a second thought.
—like veggie-topped pizza, pasta in marinara sauce, and bean burritos.
Want to eat more meatless meals without going so far as becoming a full-time vegetarian? Try the in-between eating style called “flexitarian,” which focuses on plant-based, vegetarian-type meals with a little meat thrown into the menu mix. Going flexitarian is as simple as opting for a meatless meal a few nights a week—a great way to kick off your New Year’s resolution to eat better.
Besides the nutritional boost you get from eating more plant-based foods, there are advantages to being an occasional vegetarian. Vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat lovers, have a longer life expectancy—and when eating a low-fat diet too, may have a lower risk of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. And eating less meat can help you save money. While a pound of meat can cost about $3 to $5 or more, beans and lentils are less than $1 per pound, and tofu averages $2 per pound, saving you green while you eat veggie style more greens.
The word “vegetarian” may conjure images of endless dicing and slicing, but there are many convenient options now available. There’s no excuse not to give meatless meals a whirl! Try these quick-to-fix dinner options:
• Refried beans: Make meatless tostadas by heating frozen soy crumbles with a can of Old El Paso® fat-free refried beans, then top tostada shells with the bean mixture, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, reduced-fat cheese, and salsa.
• Tofu: Add firm tofu chunks to a Green Giant® Create a Meal Stir-Fry vegetable mix and serve with brown rice.
• Soy “chicken” patties: Bake soy patties and top with marinara sauce and reduced-fat mozzarella cheese for meatless parmigiana.
• Edamame: Add protein to leafy green salads, stir-fries, and pasta by tossing in cooked Cascadian Farm® shelled edamame (green soybeans).
• Lentils: Serve up soup for dinner! Simmer lentils in vegetable broth with diced sautéed vegetables, Muir Glen® diced tomatoes, thyme, and basil.
• Quinoa: Cook this high-protein ancient grain then mix with sautéed diced zucchini and yellow squash, halved grape tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil, and spoon the mixture into hollowed-out red sweet peppers. Sprinkle with feta cheese and bake.
Be sure to nose around Eat Better America’s recipe selections. You’ll find more hearty and delicious meatless meal ideas to try, like Polenta with Italian Vegetables and Cuban Black Beans and Rice. Perfect for those days you feel like “flexing” out of your meat routine.
