To make eating healthy a little more interesting, Meatless Mondays gained a lot of traction. The idea was simple: cut out the meat on Mondays and eat vegetarian or vegan for just one day of the week. This effort stemmed back all the way to WWI when meat was rationed. The reborn campaign hoped to not only cut meat consumption but also to help eliminate some of the carbon footprints that come from the meat industry. People jumped on the bandwagon, restaurants started passing out Meatless Monday menus every week, and for a brief moment going meatless one day of the week seemed to be an exciting trend that thousands of people wanted to partake in.
But vegetarian and vegan dishes can seem daunting if you’re not used to cooking that way. After all, meat tends to be the central piece on most American dishes, making any recipe that cuts it out seem like it’s missing something. It can be hard to tell what recipes will be filling and delicious if you remove the meat from the dish. If you’re used to eating meat with every meal, changing the game can seem overwhelming at first.
Even though in America meat is integral to most of our cuisine, in many other societies and cultures meat is a delicacy and most of the day to day dishes are vegetarian or vegan by default. This is true for many South Asian, or Desi, recipes. The best part is that because these recipes are staples in Desi cuisine, the flavor is full and the meal itself is satisfying.
Imagine the possibilities of not having to compromise taste and texture just to eliminate meat from your meal plan once a week. Imagine concoctions that are abundant in flavor, packed with nutrients and just dang finger-licking good. As an added bonus, these incredible south asian or desi recipes are dietician approved and are bound to impress any dinner guest.
There’s no need to worry about treating yourself to a new cuisine just to compromise your diet. Every recipe Shahzadi puts out has the nutrition facts right at your fingertips so you can track your caloric intake, macro, and micronutrients, and also enjoy your meal guilt-free. It’s a great way to try a little taste of other culture’s meals while still sticking to your fitness and diet program.
You can explore new ingredient combinations, new ways to eat your veggies, new ways to try new recipes, all while knowing that you’re getting the proper nutrients with every dish. And guess what the best part is? In addition to every recipe being absolutely delicious, they are also quick and easy to make. That means no more stress, no more staring at a simmering sauce for hours, no more having to wait for what seems like an eternity for your dinner to be done. Your busy life can still have delicious, meatless meals in it without causing more stress.
Try Meatless Monday this week, and check out a flavorful, filling Desi recipe while you’re at it.
