Vegetarian Dishes I'm Really Into Right Now
So I became a vegetarian in August of 2018. It was kind of cold turkey because I’d been having some issues with my digestion, specifically anything cow related: milk, too much cheese, steak, burgers, you know name it. So I slowly started cutting lactose out of my diet, but was still not doing as well as I wanted to so I said, “let me try something radical and see if theres a difference”…. sure enough there was!
Now after eating meat everyday for the first quarter of my life, this transition at first was very difficult. I didn’t know what to eat and the people around me would forget about my new dietary restriction all the time. The first 6 months were the worst because I would get a lot of cravings for it as well. So I’d sneak myself a small piece of something here and there (no beef, more like chicken or turkey) on a special occasion.
But over time, it got easier - I stopped craving it, I started learning new recipes, and the people around me started to remember and always made sure I had something veggie friendly accessible to me. And now, I can’t even picture myself going back! I can only talk about my own personal experience, but I saw results in my weight, my skin, and most importantly my digestion which is the reason I made the change in the first place! One of the most important parts of being a vegetarian for me is that its good for the environment too! Our planet is heating up. By replacing meat with vegetarian sources of protein, (nuts, seeds, beans and lentils, for example), we can reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions.
So if you’re interested in trying out this veggie journey like I did, here are a few recipes to get you going. Like I said, one of the hardest parts of when I started was that I didn’t know what to eat because I always used to it being the center of every meall! I also suggest investing in a vegetarian cookbook because it will give you SO many ideas. Maggie got me this one for Christmas last year, and I love it!
LIGHT SPINACH FETTUCCINE ALFREDO WITH FIOR DI LATTE
As you can probably imagine, I eat a lot more carbs now! Which I’m totally not mad about. Before becoming a vegetarian I had never really been into pasta, I kind of thought it always tasted the same and there wasn’t enough flavor in it for me. Of course, its that I just wasn’t finding the right recipes! I love this one because you can sneak in so many veggies into the sauce. Almost a whole package of spinach! Which kind of makes this meal healthy, right? haha.
Spicy Thai Coconut Soup
I’ve always loved soup but I used to eat the same ones over and over again: chicken noodle, potato, tomato, etc. When I found this one by Debi, I fell in LOVE. I love Asian dishes, especially Thai. The broth in this recipe is so dang flavorful because of the coconut! And who doesn’t love some spicy noodles?! I could eat bowl after bowl of this one.
TRIPLE CHEESE CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZA WITH BLUEBERRIES & FRESH GREENS
Another new found love of mine - homemade pizza. But make it healthy and sneak an extra serving of veggies in there by making the crust cauliflower instead. This recipe was something I usually wouldn’t gravitate to because I’m a savory over sweet type of person so I typically wouldn’t pick something with blueberries on top. But let me tell you, the blueberries mixed with the ricotta are a match made in heaven!
VEGAN SWEET CAESAR SALAD WITH ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Of course this wouldn't be a true vegetarian post if I didn’t include at least one salad recipe. If you’re not into salads, I can see why trying out this dietary plan might be an issue for you, but lucky me I have ALWAYS loved it. I was that weird kid who would request a salad whenever we stopped at a fast food restaurant! Anyway, this recipe is awesome because its a twist on a traditional caesar salad, which everyone always loves! I’m also really into the addition of the chickpeas because it adds a lot of protein to the dish as well.
So there you have it, 4 recipes I’m digging this month. One thing I’ve learned through out this whole process is really almost anything can made to be vegetarian. So if you find a recipe you love, give it a try and just swap out the ingredients for things like vegetable broth or beyond meat (my key to success).
Happy eating!