Save Money, Try New Foods and Maybe Even Lose Weight!
Eating vegetarian meals is an excellent way to save money, drop a few pounds and maybe even discover a new lifestyle you’d like to follow permanently.
Vegetarians often have healthier body weights, plus lower risks of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. And, a diet low in animal fats can make a dramatic difference for people suffering from, or prevent the early onset of, varicose veins.
Vegetarians don’t eat meat, but they do eat dairy products including eggs, cheese, and milk. Many also eat fish. Here are a few easy ways you can become a vegetarian for a week:
Breakfast
Breakfast is perhaps the essential meal of the day to work in vegetarian options. Oatmeal, omelets, coffee with cream, cereal, and bagels with real fruit spread are all excellent choices. Just watch your carb intake - opt for a thin bagel (or half a bagel) instead of a full-sized one, and add a piece of fresh fruit if you’re still hungry.
Lunch
Since fast food is off-limits (even the fries often contain beef fat), you’ll have to hit up a local sandwich shop or plan and bring your lunch from home. But beware the cheese bomb - some sandwich shops’ vegetarian option is nothing but bread with four different kinds of cheese. That’s not healthy, and you’ll be hungry again in an hour. Subway has the best variety of vegetables for veggie sandwiches, including spinach, green peppers, and black olives.
In the frozen aisle, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, and Amy’s Organics all offer vegetarian meals, with Amy’s Organics being the most hearty and flavorful. Hummus with veggies and pita bread is also a natural option, as is a tuna salad kit, found next to the canned tuna at any grocery store.
Dinner
When it comes to dinner, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Many favorite dishes are easily made (and delicious!) without meat - lasagna, spaghetti, stir-fry, tacos (use black or refried beans), chili and soup to name a few.
If you’re going to eat out, most restaurants now have vegetarian menus. The Indian, Mediterranean and Thai cuisine offers especially delicious options, as do many pizza places.
So, why not give it a try? You may be surprised how natural and healthful it is to become a vegetarian.
Related Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian
https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/health/services/promotion/nutrition-eating-concerns-eating-well-brown/being-vegetarian
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods-vegetarian
https://medlineplus.gov/vegetariandiet.html