Meatless Madness or Healthy Habit?

Lamb chops and mash potatoes, beef burgers and fries, Southern fried chicken with mac-and-cheese… I’m sure picking a favorite from any of these dishes, is easy. But have you ever considered trying a meal that’s meatless? Wait. Don’t start hyperventilating just yet! It’s not that bad, really. There’s a stigma still attached to vegetarian food, since the majority thinks it’s tasteless. When people think of meatless meals, they imagine a bowl of lettuce and a plate of rice. Well, that’s how I use to see it anyways. But consider these dishes: grillers and mash potatoes, chipotle black bean burgers and fries, curry chickpeas and rice. Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.

For every type of meat you can make a meal with, there is a meatless substitute. And no, it’s not made in a lab. The substitute is basically plant-base products such as soy, wheat, and beans. With just the right amount of seasoning, manufacturers have managed to make tasty meatless proteins like sausages, patties, stakes, and chicken. Most stores will carry these items—it just takes a little digging to find. Two such stores are, Wegmans and Whole Foods. Also, Morning Star Farms is a brand that carries yummy meatless products. They package products such as spicy Indian veggie patties and garden veggie nuggets.

Now, I’m not saying stop eating meat at once and become a vegetarian. I’m simply saying, incorporating several vegetarian meals into your diet carries tons of health benefits—and those meals don’t have to be tasteless. Vegetariantimes.com, a website with one of the largest collection of vegetarian recipes confirms, “A vegetarian diet reduces the risk for chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophageal cancer.” A meatless diet will also help you live longer.

Some will argue that a vegetarian diet will not provide all the needed nutrients. Yet, Daniel clearly demonstrated that going meatless will not leave us malnourished, but in a better state instead (Daniel 1:11-13, 15). In addition, God supports a meatless diet. “… I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so” (Genesis 1:30). So, what are you waiting for? Start with “Meatless Monday Marathons” and later amp it up to a “Meatless Month!”

What vegetarian recipe will you try today?