Easing into meatless eating
THESE days, more and more people are seeking the health benefits of a diet rich in plant-based foods. With March being a “meat-free” month, we look at ways in which you can ease into meatless eating and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Find foods you enjoy
A good first step is to review your current diet. Make a list of foods that you regularly eat, paying special attention to vegetarian or plant-based foods that you like.
Next, aim to incorporate these foods — along with a variety of wholegrains, fruits, vegetables and beans — into your eating plan.
A good way to include vegetables, for example, is to add them to the foods you already enjoy, such as pasta or rice dishes.
If you're going vegan and eliminating all animal-based food products, look for dairy substitutes including calcium-fortified soya milk and yoghurt.
Season vegetables the way you would meat
The herbs, spices and rubs you would normally use for meat have a place in vegetarian cooking too.
Love a good lamb fry? Carry those spices into spiced eggs with tzatziki or stuffed sweet potatoes with curried chickpeas. Into chicken?
Take that seasoning blend and put it in a creamy potato salad or collard greenwrapped tofu.
One of the wonderful things about going meatless is that it can inspire you to try new and interesting foods from around the world.
Sample the vegetarian menus from various cultural restaurants such as Indian, Thai, Japanese and Mediterranean.
When it comes to ingredients, there are thousands of edible plants to choose from, so why just stick to the same few you have always eaten?
It's time to take a stroll down the produce aisle and pick up some new and exciting ingredients you've never tried before.
Search out your local farm or produce markets to source fresh and seasonal produce that is bursting with flavour and often is so much cheaper than when bought from the average supermarket.