There is a wealth of information about the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles on the web but if your looking for simple steps to tweak your day to day routine its sometimes hard to find what you looking for.
There are plenty of things to try if your thinking about the lifestyle or just testing the waters.
The easiest would be to plan to make one or two meals a week meat free. When you really put your mind to work its not as hard as you think. Something simple and delicious would be a veggie lasagne. Load that bad boy up with cauliflower, broccoli, tomatos, green and yellow squash, peppers - just about any vegetable works and trust me lasagne does not need meat to be delicious! If your using real cheese the recipe wouldn't work so well if you wanted a vegan meal but its a step in the right direction.
On the BBQ grill up your favorite veggies for a special treat, make them the focus of the meal and the meat secondary. For breakfast dice together a fruit salad, try some oatmeal or better yet banana nut pancakes or whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana!
Don't underestimate the power of beans. Kidney, black, pinto, garbanzo, great northern etc are all excellent sources of protein, energy and are seriously filling treats! Try a half can of beans and add some chili powder, a little cumin, salt and pepper and make some chili beans. Way good!
If your looking for a nice refreshing lunch, how about a CLT? Cucumber, Lettuce & Tomato with hummus spread on whole grain bread. Guacamole is a great treat as well, loaded with healthy fats and very satisfying. Have it with your favorite blue corn tortilla chips. Make a lunch out of it instead of an appetizer!
Veggie pizza is another winner. My blog has a recipe for rosemary garlic pizza crust and top it with your favorite veggies and sprinkle Daiya cheese replacement shreds on top. Very, very good!
Pasta is always a winner. There are many brands that are whole wheat or multigrain now. Just make your favorite sauce minus the meat or meatballs. The flavor is definitely still there! Substitute vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef broth and try using soy milk instead of cows milk in your recipes. Instead of real butter try Smart Balance, for someone who loves the flavor of real butter I have found a very respectable replacement with Smart Balance.
Once you start tackling the basics and putting more emphasis on the fruits and veggies in your diet the transition to less meat becomes easier. You become more creative when cooking and the possibilities are really endless.
Make sure you become a label reader. Know what is added to your foods. I read every label now, its actually kind of fun, there are so many additives that really have no place or use in the human body so check your labels. Your may be alarmed to find animal products in the craziest places!
Jumping head first in to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is a daunting task but if you do some research, gather up some recipes to try and wade in to the veggie pool it becomes easier. Your body will thank you! Why do you think Mom always told you to eat your vegetables!
Thanks for visiting! Until next time,
Kel
Check out my other blog Weight Loss HQ to track my progress on my total body transformation and doing it naturally!
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