Eating less meat can seem like a scary and difficult task. However, it’s actually really easy (and much cheaper) to make some plant-based swaps. The best part about plants is you can be creative with different combinations. Try these ideas for your next plant-based meal!
- On salads, add beans such as garbanzo, kidney, or black beans in place of chicken. You can also try lentils, marinated tofu, tempeh or quinoa.
- Add hummus, goat cheese, or feta to a sandwich with grilled veggies instead of deli meat
- Mix tahini or hummus in with your favorite salad dressing.
- Make a mock tuna salad with chickpeas by smashing chickpeas and adding mayonnaise and relish. For a vegan version, use avocado instead of mayo.
- Eat bean and low-fat cheese burritos. Add salsa and spices (cumin, chili, garlic powder) to a pan then toss in crumbled tofu and black beans. Next, add to tacos or burritos.
- Make your own veggie tacos made with canned refried beans (with oil, not lard) served with shredded lettuce, salsa, chopped bell pepper, onion, and guacamole.
- Embrace tofu – it soaks up the flavor of whatever you are using it with. Add tofu instead of chicken or beef to your next Asian stir-fry. Check out Melissa’s healthy living sweet cold tofu recipe (perfect for replacing chicken and/or cheese in a salad).
- Swap out a traditional beef or turkey patty for a veggie, bean or Portobello mushroom burger. Still hungry? Go double-decker and add avocado and tasty spreads.
