By nature my wife and I are fly by the seat of our pants people. We enjoy just doing stuff without over thinking it. We got a dog because I dared her to. We bought a house that should have been condemned hoping to make it grand. We bought another house because… well you get the idea. So when we decided to go veg that was the basic premise, jump in with both feet and see how it goes.
In the 22 years since we made that hasty decision probably one of the most frequent topics of conversation with meat people revolves around variety in the vegetarian diet. Many omnivores can’t wrap their heads around a meal without flesh. The reality for us was that as omnivores our diet was pretty pedestrian. We ate a lot of chicken, neither of us liked fish all that much, there was the odd burger and pork or lamb were things our parents served.
Changing it up and being presented with a new way of eating actually opened doors to a world of international flavours. Replacing “the bland” with “the wow” we now choose dishes from Thailand, India, Mexico, Indonesia and a host of other exotic locales. Before we got to that stage, we, like most converts faced the question of what now? Our saving grace came in the form of a meal plan box published by More Time Cooks called Going Vegetarian.
Back in 1997 the option of looking to the internet for advice and suggested meal plans didn’t exist, but my wife found this More Time Moms box set and it became our go to recipe source for the first few months after going veg. The box contained six weeks of recipe cards, shopping lists and a bevy of extras that took the hassle out of shopping for and making meals. The authors had done the nutritional research for us and as a result we were able to create balanced meals right from the get go.
New vegetarians or those looking for a little variety now have countless choices thanks to the world wide web. You don’t have to bang your head on the counter trying to figure out how to make delicious and Nutritious meals. I suggest you do what we did and let others do the work for you.
On that note I offer you 6 plant-based meal inspiration and recipe sources that will make your life easier:
1. More time Cooks: Going Vegetarian box set: I couldn’t very well leave this gem off the list given it was invaluable to our family in those early months. The set was published by More Time Moms in 1995 but a quick email to the creator confirms that it is no longer in print. That said, if you can find it on eBay or at a used book store it is definitely worth picking up.
2. Among the free, web based planning tools available the one at Eatingwell.com is a good place to start. While oddly more cumbersome than the box set, this 7 day plan offers a lot of variety and looks to be well balanced nutritionally. Each plan has links to the corresponding recipe within the site and membership is free, in fact you don’t actually have to join at all if you don’t want to.
3. If you’re an e-book sort of person the WTF WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based) offering by Victoria Plas might be right up your ally. Available for the Kobo from Indigo.ca (5.99) this e-book makes a lot of health claims which may or may not be true, but at base it is a decent starting point for the new vegetarian. With 30 days of meals to start your journey, you have access to some downloads including a print off of your diet diary if that will help keep you on track.
4. I often turn to Google when I’m trying to figure out what to make for dinner, and I find that Cookie and Kate is consistently at the top of my searches. Kate is a blogger working out of Kansas City who offers up some of the recipes that have become part of my repertoire, like these black bean enchiladas with an amazing and simple sauce. Her site allows you to look at recipes in a variety of ways like dietary restrictions, ethnicity, course and ingredients. I would definitely have a look at this site for inspiration when striking out on your vegetarian journey.
5. Oh She Glows is another site that often comes up when I’m looking for some inspiration in the kitchen. When it comes to the internet, I tend to stick with recipes that have at least a 4.5 star rating on as many votes as possible and this site delivers. Angela has over 500 recipes along with an award winning cookbook and an app., so you have multiple ways to access her great recipes. If you want try one for yourself I suggest this Nutty Crusted Butternut Squash Bowl. This one is “serve at a dinner party” good!
6. If YouTube is more your thing there are lots of great resources available. One of our favourites is by Caitlin Shoemaker. Caitlin has both a channel and a website. You’ll find videos that cover pretty much any topic and occasion but it’s the meal prep videos that my wife likes the most. Making lunches for the week is super easy if you follow Caitlin’s instructions. The meals are easy, tasty and transportable which is perfect for those on the go.
There you have it, a few resources to help you on your vegetarian journey. Best of luck and feel free to share any other sources of veggie inspiration.