Meatless Menu: A Resolution You Can Keep

By Nathan Carey

With a new year upon us, many people will be looking towards making changes to their daily habits in the form of New Year’s resolutions. These promises to ourselves often only last a couple of weeks with over half of people giving up within 6 months according to recent studies. The number one reason for weaning off our new habits is that the goals are too ambitious. Keeping resolutions smaller and more manageable increases the likelihood of keeping them up. Resolutions should be clear and measurable so that they can be readily ticked off a list or quantified. In the realm of food and health, fad diets and strict eating plans are a culprit of unrealistic goal setting and usually create more harm than good. If you’re looking to improve your diet heading into this new year, reducing meat consumption is a great option as it is manageable, measurable, and great for the environment. The consumption of meat worldwide accounts for almost 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. In the food industry specifically, 57% of greenhouse gases produced are from the processing of meat products, with red meat such as beef taking up the largest percentage. Of course, individuals’ habits alone will not affect major change, but increased interest in global warming and the importance of reducing our emissions has led to increases in plant-based products being produced and readily available in most major supermarkets.

Towards the tail end of last year, I began to see a spike in advertisements for greener living and altering our eating habits to consume less meat. The rise in popularity of plant-based diets can also be seen by taking a walk through your local supermarket with far more options available now than even 5 years ago. Personally, I have been making a conscious effort to reduce my meat consumption by incorporating more vegetable-based meals into my weekly dinner plans. During the holiday period, I was tasked with making a ‘nut roast’ for a Christmas party as one of the guests was vegetarian. I had heard relatively little information about this dish beforehand and so it was a great opportunity to research and develop a recipe that worked for us. The nut roast is designed to evoke the nostalgia of a classic Sunday roast with deep umami flavour from roasted mushrooms and (of course) nuts! This is a great example of a substitute you could make during your week to consume less meat. I’ve seen the question ‘Why do vegetarians and vegans try to recreate meat?’ come up a lot in online discussions about plant-based eating. While each person’s reasoning for adopting the diet is different, many people make the switch for environmental and health reasons and not because they don’t like the taste of meat. Using vegetable-based ingredients to recreate meat dishes is a great way of transitioning between both ways of eating and can help with cravings that may occur due to the change. With all this in mind, vegetables are a great canvas themselves and can be utilised to create delicious tasting food all on their own. 

Diets containing higher levels of plant-based foods have been linked with reduced blood pressure, reduced risk of heart conditions and lower cholesterol levels. Almost the exact inverse of these measurements is seen in diets containing high levels of meat consumption. The consumption of extra plants in your diet also means that the amount of fibre and vitamins that your body is getting is increased. Fibre is essential for digestion and smooth functioning of the digestive tract. Vegetables and fruits also contain high levels of polyphenols. Polyphenols are a class of compounds found in plant-based foods that include molecules such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and lignans. These compounds have recently been linked with protection against diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These molecules also have strong antioxidant properties and are being heavily researched for other potential roles in our bodies. 

With all this in mind, I’m challenging you, the reader, to consider how you could reduce meat consumption in your diet this year. As mentioned earlier this is not an all or nothing situation. Small changes throughout your weekly meals can add up to a lot over a year. A great place to start is by dedicating one or two days a week to vegetable-based meals. Maybe cutting out meat at lunch works better for you or if cutting out meat is just not an option, sticking to fish and poultry will already contribute to less emissions than red meat (and its better for you too!). To help you get a head start I want to share some meatless recipes that are easy to make and taste delicious. The first is a weeknight staple of Butternut Squash Curry. This hearty dish will fill you up after a long day and keep you warm until the weather starts to pick up. The second is a great lunch option and fully customizable in the form of a Buddha Bowl.  I hope these two dishes can help you get creative in the new year and incorporate less meat into your diet. 

Butternut Squash Curry 

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (about 1kg)

• 1 red onion

• 6 cloves of garlic

• 2 cans low fat coconut milk

• 2tbsp curry powder (mild or hot depending on your spice tolerance)

• 100g kale 

• Olive oil

• Fresh coriander 

• 1 lime

• Pumpkin seeds

• Rice to serve (wholegrain is a great option here)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C.

• Peel and chop the squash into large cubes (its easier to cut the squash into sections first to make it more manageable). Add to a bowl with 2tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

• Roast until cooked through and slightly brown (about 30 minutes).

• Finely chop red onion and fry with 1tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

• Once softened (About 5 minutes) add finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper.

• When garlic is fragrant, add curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes ensuring to stir constantly so it doesn’t stick.

• Add both cans of coconut milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

• Roughly chop kale and add to simmering curry, stirring to combine.

• When the squash is fully cooked through, add it to the pan along with freshly chopped coriander and the juice from 1 lime.

• Serve with rice.

Buddha Bowl 

There are infinite possibilities when it comes to making this dish. These nutritious bowls usually consist of a grain, a protein, vegetables, a dressing, and some sort of topping like nuts or seeds. While quick to prepare, these bowls pack a flavour punch and look great to eat. This particular recipe is one of my favourites. Buddha bowls work great for a packed lunch also, just reserve the dressing in a small container to drizzle on top when you are ready to eat!

Ingredients:

• 100g buckwheat

• 100g firm tofu

• Handful of chestnut mushrooms

• Olive oil

• 1 red onion

• Tahini

• Soy sauce

• Pine nuts

• Pea sprouts 

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C.

• Chop tofu into cubes, slice mushrooms and cut the onion into chunks before placing all on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

• Meanwhile cook the buckwheat according to package instructions. 

• Mix a 2:1 ratio of tahini and soy sauce for a quick dressing. 

• Once the protein and vegetables are done roasting and the buckwheat is cooked through you are ready to serve.

• Place each ingredient into a shallow bowl in sections. 

• Scatter pea shoots and pine nuts on top and drizzle with dressing.