There are many reasons people give up meat for a plant-based lifestyle. The treatment of animals raised for food is a moral grey area for most and is enough to convert many. For others, the decision to put down the hamburger and opting for a portobello burger is solely for health –there are many studies that show the link between eating meat and various health problems (if this is something that interests you, I suggest checking out the documentaries Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead).
I was a vegetarian for about 5 years (vegan for part of that), and therefore I’m naturally drawn to the veggie-er things in life. My fiance, Danny, is completely opposite. I remember the first time I made him a vegetarian Thai coconut curry –it wasn’t until his second plate that he realized it was meat-free and he was gorging on carrots, potatoes, onions, and peanuts. He was amazed that the meal was meat-free and he didn’t feel deprived at the end and this piqued his curiosity.
Since that meal, we have dabbled in substituting vegetables for meat randomly and each time he is (happily) shocked with the results. And this man, who had never even tried pineapple when we first met, asked me the other day if we can go vegetarian for a month. His reasons? So many meals are just better when they are loaded up with vegetables and fruits in lieu of meat, and in his opinion we have just scratched the surface.
I can’t argue that! So, we are doing it! Starting this Saturday (grocery day!) we are going meat-free for four whole weeks. After that, we are going to have at least two meat-free days a week. Our goal is simple, to discover new foods that are better for us that we are overlooking. At the end of our four weeks, I will be sure to share what we’ve discovered. Who knows, we might like it so much we go vegetarian seven days a week!
Meat-free recipes you might enjoy:
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