A Month of Vegetarian Meals: February 2018

It’s hard to believe I’ve been a vegetarian for well over a decade now. Growing up in Indiana’s farmland, it certainly wasn’t a popular choice to stop eating meat, especially in high school, at such a young age. There are several reasons I made the decision to go vegetarian and continue on with it, which I’ll happily discuss in a future post, if you’re curious! The question I get asked more than that though, believe it or not, is usually something like, “but what DO you eat?!”

My friends, I can’t even begin to describe the hundreds upon hundreds of recipes and dishes I’ve tried over the years, and the hundreds more I’ve bookmarked to try in the future. I know I’m not alone when I say that eating as a vegetarian can be so much fun! And it’s truly an exciting time to move toward a more plant-based diet. So many restaurants are working hard to cater to this crowd – several of them right here in Fort Wayne.

Hippie Pasta

Ten years ago, I usually had to ask for a dish “without the meat” or piece together a meal from the side dish options. It’s crazy (in the best way) that so many menus now have a fairly large selection of vegetarian-friendly options to choose from. It’s a strange and amazing feeling when I’m overwhelmed by options upon seeing a menu, rather than restricted, and it’s happening more and more often. The vegetarian and vegan selections at groceries have also gone wild in the last decade, with row after row of meat-free and dairy-free alternatives taking over the shelves.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Tarte

All that to say, I eat a lot! I’m still discovering new fruits and vegetables frequently, as well as plant-based proteins, alternative uses for various kitchen staples (like cashews and mushrooms), and different ways to make a favorite dish or dessert without the meat or dairy. There’s a great big world of veggie-friendly food out there, and in ten years, I feel like I’ve only tried a teeny-tiny percentage of it.

With that, I thought I’d do a vegetarian-friendly recipe roundup each month here on the blog, to inspire your next meal! Even if you’re not a vegetarian, I guarantee you’ll see something you’d love to try. I’m not here to push my beliefs on anyone – you do you – but there have been some proven health benefits that come with cutting down on meat and incorporating more plant-based meals into our diets. Some of these are on regular rotation in our kitchen, and some of them are recipes we can’t wait to make.

Hearty Potato + Leek Soup

I’d like to note that, personally, I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian, meaning I still consume dairy and eggs on occasion. Throughout the week, I eat mostly vegan, but still like to indulge in a cheesy pizza or pasta and maybe some milk chocolate on the weekends. I describe my current diet as 80/20 – 80% of what I eat is completely vegan, and 20% of the time, I’m a vegetarian. So, as you’ll see here, there’s a mix of vegetarian and vegan meals. Most, I’ve found, can be altered slightly to make them completely vegan, though! I’ve also tried to round up a selection that includes plenty of vitamins, minerals, and proteins.