Have you gone meatless this week?

 
Have you gone meatless this week?
 So before you think I’m going to preach to you about going 100% vegetarian, I’m not! But, but I am going to encourage you to consider going meatless at least one day per week. Why?  Several reasons:
1. It’s easy on the grocery bill
2. It gives your body a break from digesting meats 
3. It’s eco-conscious
4. It forces you to reach outside your favorite foods comfort zone (we tend to eat the same 40 foods each week)
5. It’s not as hard as you’d think…
 Meatless Monday
Meatless Monday is a national health campaign to help Americans prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer - four of the leading causes of death in America. The site offers great tips, recipes, and sample menu plans.  Find tools that can help you eat less meat and still get optimal protein.
 Protein Power
When you eat a vegetarian diet, your protein needs do rise, even if it is just for one day. We all could use a little more protein in our diets (just a little, not Atkins-level).  And just because you supplement with a  protein powder doesn’t mean you’re going to bulk up.
 Some great vegan protein powders to consider:
A rice-based protein powder by Nutribiotics, which can be purchased online at www.vitacost.com for $12 vs. $20 at Whole Foods Market;
A pea-protein powder by Pure Advantage or Olympia Labs (cost varies between the two);
And, lastly, a hemp protein powder by Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Powder
 It may be best to try a sample pack before you buy a whole container. Whole Foods does sell some of the mentioned brands in single serving packets for under $2. Try a few different flavors. My personal favorite is the Chocolate Nutribiotics Rice Protein Powder; one tablespoon provides 18g of protein!
 High Protein Whole Grains
While whole grains can provide some of our protein needs, the mother of high protein grains is Quinoa (keen-wah).  Unlike many sources of vegetarian protein, quinoa contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a "complete protein." Just one cup of cooked quinoa contains 18 grams of protein, as well as nine grams of fiber. If you buy in bulk, you’ll save big – typical cost will be around $1.50-$2 per pound, as opposed to $3 for one pound in the box. You can use quinoa in place of rice dishes or stir-fry; or, instead of a pasta salad, try a quinoa salad using the same veggies and dressing.
 Nuts, Seeds and Nut Butters
I encourage you to go beyond the peanut butter comfort zone and try a different nut butter, such as almond butter.  With the recent PB scares, other nut butter sales went up.  To make an easy transition for yourself, try sunflower seed butter – I promise you it tastes exactly the same with different nutritional value. Aim for two tablespoons per day as a serving of protein; anything more goes in the fat category.  
 And in honor of St. Patty’s Day, here is your Vegetarian Recipe of the Week:
 Happy Irish Beer Bread
 
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
12 oz stout beer (take a small sip first, otherwise, there's just a bit too much!)
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg (optional)
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. It couldn't be easier!
Recipe from www.about.com