Cutting meat from your diet may help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure by reducing the amount of fat you consume. You don't need to switch to a total vegetarian diet to enjoy health benefits. Occasional meatless meals support a healthy lifestyle while aiding in weight control. Simple techniques help you create flavorful meat-free meals for the whole family.
Designate Meatless Days
"Meatless Monday" is a concept encouraging people to eat meatless meals one day per week. The idea helps you ease into the idea of not eating as much meat and is effective for those who don't want to completely give up meat in the diet. Choose one or more days of the week that you designate for meat-free meals.
Adapt Current Recipes
You don't have to completely change your current meal rotation to eat meatless meals. Review the recipes you currently use and adapt them to make them meatless. In many dishes such as casseroles, simply omitting the meat is an option. In other recipes, replacing the meat with more vegetables or soy foods is a better option.
Seek Out Vegetarian Recipes
If you're ready to expand your meatless recipe selection, pick up a vegetarian cookbook or magazine. These sources give you new ideas for your meatless meals. You'll find that vegetarian entree options are quite diverse, giving you just as many options as your meat-filled meals.
Bulk Up With Vegetables
Vegetables add texture, flavor and bulk to your meatless recipes. You also gain the nutritional benefits from the added vegetables, including the vitamins and minerals in a low-fat and low-calorie form. The extra vegetables can take place of meat in recipes that you adapt yourself.
Experiment With Cooking Methods
Changing the cooking method affects the flavor and texture of many foods. Instead of simply boiling or steaming your vegetables, grill or roast them. Experiment with different ways to cook tofu if you're using it to replace meat. Go beyond your usual food preparation methods to try different techniques, such as braising, roasting, grilling or sauteing, for added flavor.
Use Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs give food a fresh, lively flavor that you don't always get from dried herbs and spices. A dash of herbs adds a flavor boost to any meatless dish. When your meal has a strong, pleasant flavor, you are less likely to miss the meat component. Test out different herbs and spices to figure out which flavors you enjoy the best.
Experiment With Proteins
Skipping the meat also takes away a large source of protein in the diet. Protein is an essential nutrient for a healthy lifestyle, so you'll need to find new ways to add protein to your diet. Other sources of protein include soy meat-replacement products, beans and eggs. Incorporate these foods into your dishes to meet your protein requirements for the day.
Try Meatless Convenience Foods
A meatless meal cuts down on preparation time since you won't have to cook meat, but you'll still spend time preparing vegetables and other meal components. Buy some meatless convenience foods for those days when you don't have time to prepare a big meal. Look for vegetarian meal kits and frozen dinners for quick meals.
Make Meatless Freezer Meals
If you prefer homemade meals, make several meatless meals at once to store in the freezer. You keep complete control over what goes into your meat-free dishes and have a few on hand for busy nights. Leftovers from your meatless meals can also go into the freezer for another dinner or for quick brown-bag lunches.
Try New Foods
A meatless meal is an opportunity to go beyond your usual foods. Even if you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, your local grocery store or farmers market is likely to have some types of produce you haven't tasted. The grain group is another area for exploration when creating meatless meals. Try quinoa, bulgur, buckwheat or millet for variety.
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