How-to Go Meatless to Improve Your Wallet and Waistline
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of food has risen dramatically over the past few years and the price of meat is no exception. To combat these high prices, many families are adopting Meatless Mondays as part of their weekly meal plans. Aside from saving money, there are many other benefits of participating in Meatless Mondays. Did you know that going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like obesity and can also reduce your carbon footprint? If you’d like to start making Meatless Mondays part of your dinnertime regimen, stock up on these must-have items to get you started:
- Grains: When you cut out meat, grains are essential to keep your body running properly. Grains like pasta provide our bodies with essential vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that helps reduce the risk of disease. Plus, grains can be combined with heart-healthy veggies to make a satisfying and delicious meal. Grains are often on sale in the supermarket, so take advantage and stock up for future use!
- Tomato Sauce: The great thing about tomato sauce is that it has an extremely long shelf life and it’s cheap! If you take a look around your supermarket, you can probably find tomato paste or sauce for less than $1. Although tomato sauce is usually correlated with classics like spaghetti, try jazzing it up in a new dish like our Vegetable and Herb Lasagna.
- Veggies: Eating a diet rich in vegetables greatly improves your health, and provides essential nutrients for the maintenance of your body. Plus, vegetables are so versatile! Stock up on dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, and red veggies like peppers and tomatoes. These veggies are filled with vitamins and can be easily incorporated into many meatless dishes.
Meatless Mondays are easy to adopt and should be fun! If you want to learn other tips on how to go meatless, be sure to tune into our Twitter Party today at 1:30 P.M EST. We’ll be teaming up with Meatless Monday to share meatless recipes, tips and more! You may even have the chance to win a great prize! Use the designated hashtag #PastaFitsMM and be sure to follow along.