Meat Free Meals and Motivation for Carnivores

Meat Free Meals and Motivation

Ready to cook meat free meals but don’t know where to start? I’m here to help.

I’ve been a vegetarian for 18 years and counting. I do the majority of cooking in my household; as a result, my two young daughters are vegetarians + my husband eats a mostly vegetarian diet.

A plant-based diet is best for our planet, for animals + for our health. Still, a major diet shift is daunting.

Here are my best meat-free recipes + tips for anyone looking to get *incrementally* plant-based:

Meat-Free Tip #1: Get Educated.

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Maybe you already know the meat + dairy industries are bad.

Perhaps you don’t know how bad, exactly.

Here’s the truth: Avoiding meat + dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet.

“But wait!” You say. “I buy grass-fed beef, and I refuse to support farm raised seafood with my dollars. I only eat eggs that are free range and organic!”

Grass-fed. Wild caught. Free range. Organic. These adjectives simply connote slightly-less terribleness (but still terrible, nonetheless).

Consider these facts:

– The farmland it takes to raise livestock could be reduced by more than 75 percent (the equivalent of the United States, China, the European Union + Australia COMBINED) if everyone on the planet went vegan.

– The meat industry is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases  + one of the leading causal factors in the loss of biodiversity.

– The meat industry is the leading cause of water pollution.

THE BOTTOM LINE: You can use reusable shopping bags at the supermarket. You can brew your coffee at home. You can keep the heat off until November 1, too. But all of that is fruitless without seriously limiting (or eliminating altogether!) your meat + dairy intake. Enter meat free meals.

In addition to issues surrounding sustainability, there’s also jarring truths with regard to animal cruelty + human health. Watch a documentary or two, then pick your jaw up off the floor:

• Earthlings
• Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
• Food, Inc
• What the Health 
• Cowspiracy

(Note: All these documentaries are available on Netflix.)

Prefer Audio? (Me too!)

You can find this episode of The Sustainable Minimalists podcast (and much more!) wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apple Podcasts     |     Google Podcasts     |     Spotify     |     Stitcher

Meat-Free Tip #2: Embrace substitutes.

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I’m not talking about tofu (although if you like it, eat it!). 

I’m talking about the substitutes wannabe vegetarians may not even know about:

– Seitan. (Check out my recipe for barbecue seitan burgers in this week’s freebie!)

– Tempeh.

– Commercial substitutes, including Beyond Meat veggie burgers and Quorn chik’n nuggets.

– Dairy-free ice cream made with soy or coconut milk has just enough sugar to be tasty.

– Almond or soy milk tastes not much different in cereal.  

There has never been a better time to go plant-based. As you cook meat free meals, don’t be afraid of the substitutes.

Free Vegan Recipes that actually taste good:

Meat-Free Tip #3: Meal Plan.

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I know how most of us meal plan. We pick the protein (read: MEAT) first, then we supplement the meat or fish with a side dish or two.

The PROTEIN is the star of the show. 

The solution? Meal plan the heck out of your weeks so that you aren’t ever caught unprepared.

Check out Episode 38 where my guest + I get into the nitty-gritty behind effortless meal planning. (Alternately, access the episode’s Show Notes, found here.) 

Want to go out to eat? Know that most restaurants offer vegetarian dishes beyond salads these days. Just be sure to check the menu online beforehand.

Meat-Free Tip #4: Use social media.

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The internet is ah-mazing, particularly for wannabe vegetarians + vegans. Plan your meat free meals by using  social media to your advantage:

– #Meatfreemonday is a thing. Jump on the bandwagon for weekly inspiration + camaraderie.

– Pinterest is my go-to location for new recipes. Type in what you’re looking for + voila!

– Find a vegan chef and follow the heck out of him/her on social media. I like Isa Chandra because her vegan recipes are generally quite simple to make. 

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