If there was ever a day to try out being vegetarian, it
would definitely be Earth Day. Vow to go green on this day, not just by turning
off lights and taking shorter showers, but by eating more sustainable, meatless
meals.
If you’ve never gone a day without eating meat and find the
idea of it to be absurd, then take this as a challenge. It may be difficult,
but you’ll be surprised by how motivated you will be when you accept it as the
GL-Dares-Ya challenge it is. Plus, with a few simple switches, you can turn
your fave meat-ful meals into delicious vegetarian dishes. Check out our fave
switch-a-roos below:
Instead of chicken parm...try eggplant parm
Chicken covered with cheese and marinara sauce has to be one
of the best meat meals ever created, but it is really easy to switch this to a
vegetarian meal. Simply swap the chicken for eggplant. With all the cheese and
sauce, you won’t even notice that the chicken is out of the picture. Plus, most
restaurants already offer this as an option, making it a go-to indulgent
Italian dish.
Instead of chicken stir-fry…try tofu stir-fry
A stir-fry is already full of really good veggies. Throw in
some tofu and leave out the chicken or beef to make it a totally delicious
vegetarian recipe. Tofu really doesn’t taste like anything, so once you sauté
it with soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes and some hot chili sauce, it will
be the best thing you have ever tasted.
Instead of beef lasagna…try spinach lasagna
Layers and layers of noodles, cheese, sauce and…spinach?
Yup, forget the beef and reach for some spinach in this classic dish that
everyone loves! The spinach makes this a veggie dish, gives you tonsa nutrients
and you won’t even taste it because of all the other delicious ingredients.
Instead of a hamburger…try a black bean burger
Heading to a cookout? Opt for a black bean burger. This is
probably the easiest switch because there are so many frozen veggie burgers to
choose from if you don’t wanna DIY it. Pick up a package and have your parents
throw it on the grill for you. Don’t forget about the toppings!
Instead of beef chili…try three-bean chili
Warm, spicy beef chili can make any day better. Except, of
course, a day when you’re trying to be a vegetarian. Ditch the beef and triple
the amount of beans in the chili. For a flavor boost, toss in our fave trio:
black, red and pinto beans.
What’s your fave veggie dish? Are you gonna try to go
vegetarian this Earth Day? Blog about it, babes.
BY RACHAEL ELLENBOGEN ON 4/19/2012 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN how to be a vegetarian, healthy eating 101, vegetable, dinner, healthy recipes, earth day