The Red, White, and Green

So you pledged to “go Meatless Monday” for your New Year’s resolution — that’s great news for your health and the planet, and you’re no doubt rarin’ to go with all of the amazing recipes on the Meatless Monday website. But going meatless — even for just one day a week — isn’t always easy if you’re used to the typical American diet. I’m a lifelong healthy/organic eater who knew how to press tofu long before my Meatless Monday days, but even I’ve run into a number of challenges in my eight MM months so far that could have derailed my efforts if I hadn’t discovered a few clever workarounds. So to help you in your Meatless Monday meal planning for the year ahead, I offer up troubleshooting tips for five fall-off-the-wagon scenarios.

1. I think meat substitutes like tofu dogs and veggie bacon are gross. I agree; I’m of the opinion that the best-tasting and healthiest way to go veg is to stick to foods that are inherently meatless. There are cultures around the globe whose diet is either completely or largely vegetarian, and the staples of those cuisines have evolved over thousands of years, sustaining people’s appetites and nutritional needs all the while. So look to the Italians, with their hearty pasta e fagioli and savory frittatas; the Indians, with their luscious dals and fresh-baked naan; and the Israelis, with their crispy falafel and creamy hummus.

2. I’ve tried going meatless the whole day, but I feel ill/shaky/tired, despite eating balanced vegetarian meals. There are just some people who, no matter how carefully they plan their vegetarian meals, still feel crappy after an entire day of meatless eating. If this is the case for you, then go ahead and have meat at dinner, but swap out another lunch later in the week for a vegetarian one. Voilà! — three meatless meals each week.

3. I’ve got company coming over for dinner, and they are NOT the vegetarian type. While you could use strategy #2 in this scenario, I say why not prepare a fan favorite that they won’t even realize is vegetarian? You could do a homemade pizza margherita with a gorgonzola salad on the side; a pot full of veggie chili and a pile of homemade cornbread; or eggplant parmigiana with white bean crostini as an appetizer.

4. I can’t eat vegetarian because I’m gluten sensitive/allergic to soy/on a low-carb diet. While it’s arguably more difficult to eat meatless if you already have a restricted diet, it’s not impossible. With a little advance planning and the help of resources like the Gluten-Free Goddess, a gorgeous blog with a whole section devoted to GF gastronomy, you’ll soon have a repertoire of vegetarian favorites that you can recycle every Monday (remember, we’re only talking about one day a week here).

5. My husband/wife/partner isn’t into Meatless Mondays, and I don’t have time to prepare two meals. My husband has been supportive of our Meatless Monday dinners, but even he on occasion gets a little sick of fried tofu and rice (the only meatless dinner that really satisfies him) and says he needs a week off. When that happens, we use it as an excuse for a night out and go to a place where I can order veg and he can eat whatever. We do it on the cheap, too: the Kogi truck that’s created a foodie frenzy in Los Angeles, for Korean BBQ tacos (he’ll have the chicken, I’ll have the tofu); Thai Town for homemade noodles (his with pork, mine with veggies); or our favorite Mexican stand at the famous LA Farmers Market (cheese quesadilla for me, oh wait…look who decided that quesadilla looked good, too?).

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Have you run into any particular challenges in your quest to go meatless? Tell us how you dealt with them by posting in the comments section below.

More Meatless Monday posts:
Meatless Monday: Special diets
Meatless Monday: Think Mediterranean

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