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Veg Mondays How to Get Started

Chances are you are already eating many veggie side dishes with your meals. To take it one step further, try replacing a hamburger with a veggie burger or grilled portobello mushroom sandwich. Tofu is a delicious and nutritious option in place of chicken or fish.

Replacing meat, poultry and fish in your meals is easy. Once you do, you may even find you don't miss your old favorites.

Take the Veg Pledge! Commit to giving this a try for 4 consecutive weeks.

To make this easy, we've compiled lots of suggestions to help you get started.
Check them out!

• What to Eat
• Where to Shop
• Where to Eat - Veggie Friendly Restaraunts
• Tasty & Healthful Egg & Dairy Free Strategies
• Coaxing Kids
• Brands We Like
• Easy Veggie Recipes

Tips to help get started:

Focus on dinner If you have dinner figured out, you’ve got it licked. Many people have the same breakfast every day, and lunch can be easy, e.g., a sandwich or wrap (also, see our easy lunch ideas). But everyone looks forward to relaxing a little at dinner. Plus, dinner leftovers can sometimes provide lunch for later in the week.

Make a list of recipes that you have made and that everyone in your household likes, and post it on the refrigerator.  

Plan a menu for the week, during the weekend or first thing on Monday. That way you can save shopping trips by getting everything you need for the week.

Simple Substitutions:

• Tofutti Cream Cheese and Sour Cream. Dead ringers for the originals. Good on bagels or with baked potatoes.
  
• Tofurky Deli Slices and Sausages. The deli slices are great for lunch sandwiches; the sausages can be sliced and added to pasta, rice, and potato dishes or just served on a roll.
  
• Nate’s Meatballs Just microwave, and serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce. 
  
• Fake Fake  This means homemade (fake) non-dairy (double fake) Parmesan. In a food processor, combine ½ cup walnuts, about 2 T nutritional yeast,* 1 t garlic powder, and ¼ t salt. Blend until crumbly. This is great on pasta with tomato sauce, and also steamed vegetables, green salad, and lots of other things. It is a staple in our house.
• *Nutritional yeast is a delicious powder/flake substance available in bulk at natural food stores. You can make this recipe without it, but it won’t be as good. 
  
• Tofu Ricotta  In a food processor, combine ½ lb tofu with 1 T olive oil, 1 T cider vinegar, 1 t garlic powder, ½ t salt, and 1 t mustard (any kind), and 1 t dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, or a mix). You can also add some minced garlic and onion, some tahini (sesame seed butter) or other nut butter, and some nutritional yeast, if you want to take the trouble. Blend until smooth. This is a good basic dip or spread for crackers or veggies. Or use for Easy Veggie Pasta Back - recipe available in out Veggie Recipes section.