For anyone concerned about their diet, food writer Michael Pollan’s advice makes sense: ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’ By giving ‘plants’ (fruit and veg) a more prominent place on our plate, we can cut calories, increase nutrition and decrease our grocery bill. And in case that doesn't convince you, eating less meat may even curb global warming, according to the United Nations group that studies these sorts of things. As you may have already guessed, this month's column is devoted to vegetarian fare. For you ‘meat and potato’ types, perhaps you think vegetarian food is bland and boring because, let’s face it, some of it is. But keep reading, these meals are anything but boring.
Going completely meat-free isn’t an option for most of us, but reducing meat consumption is doable. One way of reaching this goal is to adopt the Meatless Monday approach. This international campaign urges us to try to reduce meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet. Eating vegetarian once a week is easy and is a great excuse to try out new recipes. These chard tacos can be prepared in less than 30 minutes, making them an excellent weeknight dinner choice.
Eating vegetarian usually requires eating more vegetables. As mothers of young children, we know that vegetables aren’t the easiest things to convince kids to eat. By experimenting with different produce and techniques and even disguising veggies in your kids' favourite meals, you can show them that vegetables can be just as tasty as they are good for you. If your kids are fans of spaghetti and meatballs, they’ll love these aubergine ‘meatballs’ with spaghetti and tomato sauce. The ‘meatballs’ are light, tender and have even more flavour than regular meatballs.
We couldn’t do a column on vegetarian food without mentioning tofu. If you think you hate tofu, you probably haven’t had it prepared correctly. Tofu itself is bland and rather texturally challenged, but if prepared well, it can be delicious. Plus, tofu is low in calories, high in protein and costs less than beef mince at your local supermarket. Spicy peanut soba with tofu and vegetables is a great recipe for tofu. The fried tofu is doused in creamy peanut sauce, then tossed with stir-fried vegetables and soba. Even the most tofu-phobic will enjoy it.
We hope these marvellous meat-free dishes have you and your kids wanting more. For other vegetarian recipe ideas, check out Dinner du Jour's vegetarian recipe selection and for more information on the benefits of going meatless (at least a little bit), take a look at www.meatlessmonday.com.
From our kitchens to yours,
Kelly & Kristin
You can find these recipes and more family favourites on our blog, www.dinnerdujour.org. 
