Meatless Meals Are In
Meg Volley, PostGlo Intern
I love chicken nuggets as much as the next person, however, when it comes to going meatless, there are a wide array of health, environmental, and economic benefits!
Now I’m not telling you to transition your diet to become fully vegetarian. Contrary to popular belief, there is not one diet that is the “healthiest”! Furthermore, you don’t need to align with any dietary labels, such as vegetarian, vegan, paleo, etc. Different things work for different individuals and families, and this makes sense!
However, whether it be for religious, ethical, environmental, health, or economic reasons, here are some reasons you should consider going meatless every once in a while.
Affordability: Many associate meatless diets with wealthy celebrities and expensive plant-based meat alternatives. However, there are many alternatives that won’t break your bank! In fact, vegetarians spend an average of $750 less monthly on grocery bills (1)! Chickpeas, beans, and legumes are some of the most affordable plant-based protein options on the market.
Reduced risk of chronic disease: The American Heart Association associates reduced meat consumption with lower risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease (2). Specifically, limiting intake of saturated fat, which is high in foods like bacon, sausage, and beef is associated with decreased risk of some cancers (3). While correlation does not mean causation, reducing your meat intake might be a good way to prevent disease.
Helps prevent global warming: Simply stated, global warming occurs when air pollutants called greenhouse gases get trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, absorb heat, and cause the Earth’s temperature to increase. What you might not realize is that raising animals for food accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the world’s cars and trucks (4)! Going meatless from time to time can help reduce environmental degradation.
More opportunities for nutrition: Swapping meat for other foods creates opportunities for not only new recipes and flavors, but also different nutrients! For example, diets high in plant foods are also high in fiber, which helps promote satiety and regulate the gut microbiome, which houses 70% of the immune system (2, 5).
Going meatless doesn’t have to mean making your favorite pre-existing recipes without meat. It means getting creative in the kitchen and adjusting current recipes or trying new ones to ensure that they’re still filled with protein, nutrients, and flavor! Here are some meatless meal ideas that are more than just plates of lettuce:
Bring on the beans: Black bean and cheese quesadillas were a staple in my diet growing up. They are such a simple, quick, and tasty meal to throw together during the busyness of the day! Beans also are a great in vegetarian chilis, and one of our famous meltdown meals: white bean & spinach gnocci, which you can find here (shameless plug): https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmOmbzrLrGU/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Lentils: Lentils are great in soups, and they can even work as a “meat” sauce on top of pasta for a copycat Bolognese recipe!
Chickpeas: Don’t get me started on chickpeas. Secretly, this blog post is just a way for me to rave about them. But seriously, they are SO delicious, SO versatile, and packed with nutrients! They can be incorporated into curries over rice or roasted as a part of a sheet pan meal with potatoes and veggies.
Sneaky protein sources: Sometimes going meatless isn’t even a challenge, because some kids just don’t love meat. There are still ways to sneak in protein, though! Try using “protein” pastas made with chickpeas, lentils, and/ or grains, topped with homemade pasta sauces made from nuts such as cashews for a creamy alfredo-like sauce.
Vegetarian diets are on the rise, and with good reason. They are good for environmental and physical health, in addition to your wallet’s wellbeing. Furthermore, we are finding new ways to make meatless meals that are still tasty and satisfying.
Making a big lifestyle switch to a vegetarian diet isn’t necessary to reap the benefits of a meatless diet. Consider making a meatless meal once a week (who doesn’t love a good meatless Monday?!) to switch up the dinner rotation and do some good for your body, bank account, and environment.
Sources/ further reading
(2) https://www.uclahealth.org/news/is-plant-based-protein-for-you-heres-what-you-need-to-know