Meatless Monday

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I eat a mostly vegetarian diet. Yes, I am an “almost vegetarian” who occasionally eats meat. For the most part, only seafood makes it into my diet (I love my sushi!). I cook vegetarian meals at home and occasionally splurge when I am eating out or at a get together where chips and salsa aren’t going to cut it. 😉

My resolve not to eat meat comes from both an environmental and health standpoint. Americans, on a whole, eat entirely too much meat! We “overproduce” animals, feed them “filler” (a cheap way to make em big!) treat them inhumanely and inject chemicals and dyes into the meat to make it prettier, more appetizing and easy to sell.

The fact that affected me the most and started the meat reduction in our household was the following quoted from the Meatless Monday website: “The meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions . . . far more than transportation.”  SO this is for all you West Valley Moms Blog readers who don’t think your families will go for it. Or that it is too hard. I have put together a list of some crowd pleasing meals for both the beginner cooks and the moms who really know their way around a kitchen! 🙂

 

My go to kid friendly and fast vegetarian meal is Pita Pizzas.  This recipe is simple and you can play with toppings: mushrooms, spinach, whatever veggies you have on hand!  Throw together a spinach or romaine salad and this makes a quick and easy meal.

Another children pleaser is Cheese Crisps… if you enjoy cucumbers, make sure to try out this Mexican Cucumber Salad that goes perfectly with this dish.  I add cilantro and salsa to the cheese crisp and find this brings the dish up on the yummy scale!  Sometimes we will throw a can of black beans in the mix too, a household favorite!

Black Bean and Corn Stew and Butter-less Alfredo with Peas are both delicious meals that have a short prep time and are super yummy and kid friendly! 🙂  I use half the amount of water that the stew recipe calls for as I like a “meatier” stew.

If you are looking to step up your game a little and are willing to spend a bit more time prepping and cooking, Grilled Mushroom Tacos make an amazing dish!  My son loves these!!!

One of my all time favorite dishes and something I make for holidays and big get togethers is Spicy Vegetarian Chili.  I could eat this multiple times a week!!! Feel free to ease up on some the spicy ingedients if you can’t handle the heat!  This is a hearty dish that has won many a carnivore over! 😉

 

Check out my Pinterest board for some more great vegetarian recipes! 🙂

West Valley Moms Blog Stacey Woodward Pinterest Vegetarian Recipes

“Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.”  Another cool fact found over on Meatless Monday’s website.

Consider going meatless, once a week.  Check out the amazing site and movement, Meatless Monday, for more tips and recipes. Who knows, you may find you really enjoy it!

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Stacey
Stacey is the owner of North Phoenix Moms Blog and Dream Photography Studio. She is a dreamer and nerd at heart, which explains her love for all things Disney, SciFi and musical theatre. As a Phoenix native, she has fallen in love with the city she was born in, and all it has to offer. She is an advocate for locally owned small business and loves the arts. She considers herself to be a bit of a foodie; she also enjoys cooking, hiking and watching movies. The two main men in her life, her husband and son, have completely stolen her heart. She is super excited and proud to lead North Phoenix Moms Blog.

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