Meatless Monday – A Different Way of Eating

Here at home, we are trying to curtail the heavy consumption of meat in our diet. I’ve been reading about the benefits of eating little to no meat as a means of maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Honestly, it’s very difficult when you are accustomed to eating meat daily with almost every meal and then attempting to cut back. For us, it is definitely a different way of eating. We’re not moving in the direction of vegetarian but we are introducing Meatless Monday into our meal planning.

When fasting, I personally notice the difference in my digestive system when I eliminate meat. It seems that my body processes food differently and I’m more “regular” than usual. (If you know what I mean) My personal goal is to consume primarily fish with occasional turkey and chicken. I eliminated red meat several years ago, so I have no desire for it at all anymore.

Actually, I started Meatless Monday a few years ago and everyone adjusted well back then. Of course, it was only one day a week. I served a full meal with black-eye peas, collard greens, corn-on-the-cob, rice, sliced tomatoes and bread.  Sometimes, I can fall into a routine of repetitive meals each week, so this is an opportunity to try new foods & recipes. I shared the idea with a friend who tried it but her husband protested and requested the return of meat.  “Oh no girl, my husband said he wanted meat!”

As a family, we’re open to something different, so we’ll see how it turns out. I do know that Meatless Monday may not always fall on Monday, depending upon the schedule but the goal is one day a week.  I don’t mind saying that I’m not Rachael Ray in the kitchen but I’m fairly decent at cooking. It will be a challenge but we’re up for it. Of course, I’ll give updates along this new journey to share how things progress in the kitchen. If you have a few meatless dishes to share, please do so. I’m open to ideas!