By Patti Hermes - Parent To Parent - What's For Dinner?
October 1st is World Vegetarian Day, starting off Vegetarian Awareness Month and ending with World Vegan Day on November 1st. You don't have to actually be a Vegetarian to participate, just like nobody needs permission to have a meatless dinner. In fact, you may be skipping the meat more than you realize, already.
For those who would like to experiment with meatless meals, there's an abundance of advice all over the internet. I've mentioned Meatless Monday here before, and I still recommend it. Not only do they have meatless meal suggestions, with recipes, but also a selection of articles with some healthy advice, as well.
Vegetarian Times boasts “the world's largest collection of vegetarian recipes”, with entire menus put together for whatever occasion you're cooking for, from supper for two to an entire dinner party. They also have an assortment of expert guides with storage and substitution advice, as well as free newsletters to keep you updated with more and more recipes.
If you're already a vegetarian, or have one in the family, and just need some concrete information to convince the rest of the family they can survive without chicken or beef just a few nights a week, The Vegetarian Society has an Information Sheet with answers to some of your “why veg” questions.
For those of you who just think vegetarians are loony, think about this. What were your grandparents cooking during the Great Depression, or World War II when they had to depend on rations? Read an old cookbook and you'll find recipes for Peas and Pasta, or Creamed Eggs, or just plain old Baked Beans. When meat just wasn't available, they made do with what they had.
So whether you want to give up meat for one day a week or forever, whether it's for a healthy diet or just to save some pennies, there's plenty of support here on the internet. Try a new recipe, and maybe it will lead to a new lifestyle. If not, at least you've had some good eatin'! And don't forget dessert!
