Whether you’re a full-blown vegetarian or an avid meat eater, you’ve probably heard of Meatless Monday. According to their website, “Meatless Monday is a global movement with a simple message: one day a week, cut the meat.” They claim cutting out meat once a week is good for your health and the planet. And they’re not just making this up — it’s well documented that producing meat requires large amounts of water, negatively impacting the Earth.
So, why don’t we all become vegetarian then? If we’re being realistic, people that have eaten meat their whole life and enjoy eating it will probably find it extremely difficult to be vegetarian 24/7! That’s why Meatless Monday exists; it’s a low-risk way to cut back on meat. With these ideas, you will see that meals without meat can be easily integrated into your weekly meals! You don’t have to be a skilled chef or a health nut to eat meatless. Rather than offering recipes, here are some of my favorite, easy (and not-so-healthy!) vegetarian meals to inspire you:
1. Burritos
I’m a big fan of burritos in any form, but I especially like them for Meatless Monday because they’re super easy to make vegetarian. Replace any usual meat with beans and you’re done. If you’re into cooking, you can definitely make these at home. However, by following the theme of “easy meals,” fast food places and microwavable options exist too! One of my favorites is the Trader Joe’s Mildly Spiced Vegetable Burrito.
2. Pizza
Thinking of ordering pizza on a Monday? Skip the pepperoni or sausage — or whatever other meat toppings you like — and you’re good to go. Veggie lover’s pizzas exist if you’re into that, but if you’re not as adventurous with your toppings, just cheese is meatless too!
3. Pasta
Pasta dishes are another option that are easy to make meatless because there are endless options. Simply remove or replace meat with whatever your heart desires — some “meatless meats” are pretty good if you give them a chance! If you’re out and about, places also often times already have vegetarian options; for example, Noodles and Co. has penne rosa, pesto cavatappi, pasta fresca, Japanese pan noodles, plain buttered noodles, and mac & cheese on their menu.
4. Sandwiches
Throwing it back to the elementary days, a good ol’ PB&J is both meatless and incredibly easy to prepare. If you have a more sophisticated palate than me, there are plenty of other sandwiches that are vegetarian too. Like all of these ideas, sandwiches are easy to customize to what you want to eat.
5. Soup
Whether you’re ordering soup from a restaurant or buying it at the grocery store, you’ll find that there are plenty of meatless options. Explore a little and see what you like! From minestrone to veggie chili, any soup is great, especially as autumn and winter approach.
6. Rice
Rice dishes seem to be a staple in many people’s diets, so of course there are vegetarian options. Add everything in as you usually would, but just skip the meat. You can add tofu or other “meatless meats” if you wish.
Eating meatless doesn’t have to be hard — or even super healthy! I admit that it can be daunting at first, however the recent cultural shift towards vegetarianism means there are many options readily available in restaurants and grocery stores. This makes it easy to eat meatless, especially for one day a week. For the amount of effort it takes to eat meatless every Monday, it’s well worth helping our planet.