LEARNING TO LOVE VEGETABLES

Always been a meat eater but you’d like to go part-time vegetarian? Then make the flexitarian transition gradually and aim to:

START OUT SIMPLE

► Buy healthy, frozen vegetable foods: There are some fantastic brands now offering frozen food options such as vegetable patties and pumpkin falafel. Keeping these on standby will help if you’re rushed by giving you a quick foundation for or addition to a vegie meal.

► Add more protein: Throw some tofu, beans and nuts into meals like stir-fries, salads and soups for extra protein punch.

► Avoid cooking two meals: Make meals like casseroles or stir fries that you can adapt for your partner, flatmate or family by cooking their meat on the side and adding it before serving.

► Cut out hidden meat sources: Look for a cheese that uses vegetable-derived rennet rather than one from the stomachs of cows, and avoid foods with gelatin, which is meat-derived (Halal food varieties get around this problem).

► Modify favourite meals: Play around with meat-free versions of pasta or quiche or stews until you find some you enjoy. Or turn your favourite vegetarian side dishes into main courses.

► Do vegie versions of fast food: Make oven-baked chips using sweet potato, beetroot and potato drizzled with olive oil; have lentil or vegetable patty burgers instead of beef ones and a tomato and vegie pasta instead of spag bol.

STIMULATE YOUR TASTE BUDS

► Bake frittatas: You can constantly change the mix of vegetables and use any leftovers for breakfast or lunch as well.

► Widen your repertoire: Pick a vegetable each week that you rarely eat, such as artichoke or kale, and try new recipes that incorporate this ingredient.

► Spice it up: Make meals tastier by using mustard, vinegar (e.g. balsamic, cider), plenty of herbs (e.g. chives, dill and parsley) and spices (e.g. curry, chilli and paprika).

► Serve small two-course meals for variety: Go for a soup and salad, or a mini-stack of roast vegetables followed by a small bowl of mushroom and asparagus risotto.

► Try cuisines from different cultures: Look for vegetarian recipes that are Greek, Indian, Turkish, Moroccan, etc and enjoy new taste sensations and recipe ideas.

BE CREATIVE

► Keep it varied: Check out meal ideas on
blogs and websites. If you get bored you are less
likely to stick to your meat-free days.

► Re-think your snacks: Make mini vegetable balls and serve with tamari or whip up some dips like hummus or guacamole and serve with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.

► Spin an old style: For example, go beyond different green varieties of salads and try salsas, bean or roast vegie salads and salads mixing lots of vegetables with a little wholemeal pasta or quinoa. With mashes, try broccoli or pumpkin or cauliflower with a little stock, not milk and butter, and top with a crumbling of goat’s cheese.

► Dress up your vegetables: Your taste buds will atrophy if you keep serving boiled vegies night after night, so mix it up. Bake sweet potato and top with a little pesto, add a tamari and orange juice sauce to beans topped with almond slivers and sauté or water stir-fry a mix of a couple of vegetables such as parsnip and pumpkin or zucchini and capsicum, then add a dash of oil and other flavours, like oyster sauce.

► Make vegetables boats: Stuff potatoes with beans and fill vegies like capsicums and tomatoes with a quinoa and vegetable mix. Use lettuce leaves like cups or bread. Scoop out the middle of cooked zucchini, add it to a rice mix of garlic, mushrooms and capsicum then refill the zucchini shells with the mix.