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With the rising cost of meat, many people are looking for more vegetarian meal options.
Many, however, are not looking to become pure vegetarians. They just want healthy meals that don’t always involve the added expense of meat.
But how does one go about cooking like a vegetarian? Is it a matter of omitting the meat in our favourite dishes, or do we need to come up with a new recipe repertoire?
Hayley Ewing, the in-store dietitian covering Lower Sackville, Windsor, New Minas and Kingston Superstores, said it doesn’t have to be an all-or-none approach and each meal should always contain adequate protein.
First, said Ewing, it doesn’t have to be about having meatless meals to decrease meat and save money at the grocery store. Instead, she recommends to her clients that they start small by replacing just some of the meat in regular dishes with an alternative, like lentils or beans.
For example, instead of just chicken in a stir-fry, she suggested considering using half the amount of chicken and then throw in some frozen edamame beans to still get the same amount of protein and some fibre too.
Or, for tacos, Ewing suggested cutting the ground beef down and using a can of lentils. You still get the flavour and texture of meat, while saving money and you don’t have to learn to cook completely new dishes. This does require however, being open-minded about trying new things, like lentils, and experimenting, she noted.
“I know lots of Canadians are trying to cut down on food cost and, therefore, meat consumption, but our recommendation as dietitians to replace meat with a cost-effective plant-based protein like beans, lentils or tofu is to still have protein in the meal,” said Ewing.
There just isn’t enough protein in grains, starches, fruits and vegetables to make balanced meals without meat and without considering those legumes and tofu options, she added.
Although there are likely lots of folks who make meatless meals with vegetable alternatives like mushrooms and zucchini, Ewing cautioned, without using a protein, the body just isn’t getting what it needs nutritionally.
Another grocery item many consider are using meat alternatives like Yves or Beyond Meat products. While these are great, they aren’t always any cheaper than just eating meat. Other potential sources of animal-based proteins that could potentially be used to replace meat are eggs and cheese, but the cost of both of those have also gone up.
As a dietitian, Ewing recommended replacing meat with plant-based protein sources including lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu or other soy products, nuts and seeds.
“Without replacing the meat with plant-based sources, vegetables and grains alone do not have enough of these nutrients for an optimal diet,” she stressed.
So, learning to cook with food items like lentils and tofu and the like becomes key.
“I know it can be difficult to learn new ways of cooking with things like lentils and tofu, but there isn’t really another way to balance out the meal and still meet needs for nutrients like protein, iron, zinc, b vitamins with just veggies instead,” said Ewing.
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Easy vegetarian meals
Ewing offered the below suggestions for ways to reduce meat consumption in easy meals.
- Tacos, meatloaf, lasagna, shepherd’s pie, meatballs: Add lentils to stretch the protein in the meal. Start with a small amount and increase to one can per pound of meat as the whole family gets used to the change in texture. Use your usual toppings and seasonings. Canned lentils are ready to eat — just drain and rinse.
- Stir fry: replace some of your usual chicken, beef or shrimp with frozen, shelled edamame beans. They have a slightly crunchy texture and go great with all of the stir fry vegetables. Bonus budget tip: use frozen veggies to further cut down on costs and prep.
- Soups: this is a great place to cut down on meat and add in grains like quinoa and beans. If you don’t like the texture of beans, try pureeing into the soup either as a completely smooth soup or just puree the beans with some of the soup ingredients and add back in.
- Fried rice: Switch it up and try a firm tofu, fried in a frying pan with canned or frozen mixed vegetables, leftover rice, soya sauce and scrambled egg. If you’re not quite ready to explore tofu, try edamame beans instead.
- Pasta sauce: white kidney or navy beans puree well into white sauce, making it thick and smooth. Try lentils or red kidney beans pureed into tomato sauce.
