I was recently inspired by an
article that I read to look up some vegetarian recipes. Apparently there is a (not so) new movement called "Meatless Mondays" in which people eat vegetarian once a week. I think this is a good idea for several reasons. First off we, as Americans, eat way too much meat. The average (healthy) person requires about five to seven ounces of meat per day (that's the size of about 2 decks of playing cards). However, most of us eat at least twice that much every day. I think we could use a little break, if only once per week.
There are plenty of great substitutes for meat, and I'm not just referring to the soy based products that are made to resemble it visually. Any type of bean is the perfect substitute for meat, including one of my favorite legumes-peanut butter. In addition, nuts and seeds provide enough protein to be considered meat "substitutes" plus they pack on added benefits like vitamins, minerals, and essential (good) fats.
Some might argue that these sources are not good substitutes for meat because they don't provide complete protein, meaning that they do not contain all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). However, those that are missing can be easily obtained from other commonly eaten foods-most notably grain products such as bread and cereals. Contrary to former beliefs, these foods do not have to be consumed at the same time to achieve this balance.
Another great reason to give the vegetarian thing a try is to incorporate more variety, which could make for more exciting meals. For example, when I searched for recipes I found several with Greek, Middle-eastern, and Indian flair-things I would not normally think to make.
Finally, the
American Dietetic Association (ADA) published an evidence based
position paper stating that "
appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." Well, that's definitely enough proof for me!
I decided to have my meatless day on Sunday this week. My breakfast is normally vegetarian, so there was no change there. For lunch, I tried a
chickpea taco recipe that I found on the Vegetarian Times
website. I did add cheese as a topping (I'm going vegetarian, not vegan here-don't think I could give up the cheese!). They were quite delicious!
For dinner, I made a vegetarian pizza. I used my usual
whole wheat pizza dough recipe, and topped with pesto sauce, spinach, broccoli, sliced tomato, mozzarella, and feta cheese. Yum!
I definitely did not miss the meat. I am going to continue this tradition weekly, and try a new recipe every week. Don't worry-I will share the vegetarian recipe love here.
Have you heard of the "Meatless Monday" movement? Are you up to the challenge of giving up meat once a week (or more)?
