Breakfast to Dinner: How to Make The Best Meatless Monday Recipes
Whether you’re trying to save the planet, the animals, or improve your health, a plant-based diet is the way to go. And meatless Monday is a perfect way to get your feet wet.
What is Meatless Monday?
Meatless Monday is a growing trend that started in 2003 but has roots dating back to WWI. Since then, it has turned into a global movement, involving thousands of people and reached hospitals, schools, and communities worldwide.
The campaign aims to teach people about the benefits of eating more plants, and less meat— including pork, fish, poultry, etc.
“Eating less meat and more healthy plant-based foods can help reduce the incidence of chronic preventable diseases, preserve precious land and water resources, and combat climate change.” - Monday Campaigns Org
Ready to try out Meatless Monday? These meals are the perfect way to start out. I included some of my favorites recipes for a healthy plant-based breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Meatless Monday Breakfast
This is one of my favorite vegan breakfasts. It’s loaded with flavor and nutrients in a one-of-a-kind recipe. Oatmeal is usually eaten sweet, but it makes for an amazing salty meal too. You can play around with the ingredients and add your favorite veggies and spices.
Salty and Savory Oatmeal Bowl
Ingredients:
½ cup of oatmeal
1 cup of water
¼ red pepper, sliced
½ small onion, sliced
½ red tomato, diced
½ cup of spinach, chopped
⅓ cup of peas
¼ avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons of salsa (optional)
1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt + pepper to taste
Red pepper to taste
Instructions
In a small saucepan, add the water and bring it to a boil. Stir in the oatmeal along with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover until fully cooked.
On a non-stick pan sauté the onions for about 2 minutes, then add the peppers and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the peas, spinach and tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes.
Once the oatmeal is done, serve in a bowl and add the sautéd veggies on top. Then add the sliced avocado, the salsa, hemp seeds, serve and enjoy.
This bowl is the perfect way to start the day off on the right foot. It’s packed with protein, fiber and vitamins and minerals. You won’t regret giving it a try.
Meatless Monday Lunch:
Crispy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients:
1 can of Chickpeas
1 cup of mixed greens (spinach, arugula, kale)
½ cucumber, peeled and diced
½ cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
½ carrot, grated
½ avocado
2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons of olive oil
½ orange, squeezed
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of Italian herbs
Pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
Drain the chickpeas, rinse them with water, and drain again. Add the chickpeas to a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, herbs, and pepper and toss until they’re all evenly coated.
Add the chickpeas to a cast iron (or oven tray) and spread them out. Make sure they’re not overlapping to ensure crispiness.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing them halfway through.
While the chickpeas cook, mix in a salad bowl the mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, carrot, avocado, and sunflower seeds.
In a small bowl mix the other tablespoon of olive oil with the orange juice and mix. Add it to the salad and toss it.
Once the chickpeas are crispy and ready to go, serve the salad in a bowl, top off with the chickpeas, and enjoy!
The crispiness of the chickpeas plus the citrus-y flavor of the orange make for a mouth-watering salad. Perfect for hot summer days.
This recipe allows you to experiment too. Use your favorite spices to coat the chickpeas, like cumin, curry powder, paprika, fresh herbs, or whatever you prefer. They make for a great snack too.
Meatless Monday Dinner:
Rainbow Coconut Curry Stew
Ingredients:
1 block of baked tofu (I use lemon-pepper baked tofu)
1 cup of brown rice
7 small purple potatoes, cut in quarts
1 small white onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
½ cup of peas
1 small yellow cauliflower
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 cups of kale, chopped
1 can of coconut milk
¾ cup of low sodium vegetable broth
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Malaysian curry paste (or any curry paste)
Salt + pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of paprika
Instructions:
Cook the brown rice according to the instructions (usually 2 cups of water per cup of rice).
Turn the stove to a medium-high flame and on a saucepan add the sliced onions and garlic, and cook for 3-5 minutes (until the onions turn clear). Add the sliced carrots and green peppers and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add the veggie broth, coconut milk, potatoes, cauliflower, curry paste and spices to the pan and cover until it boils.
Lower the flame to a simmer and add the peas, kale and baked tofu. Cook for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are soft).
Serve in a bowl with the brown rice and red pepper to taste.
This is one of my favorite plant-based meals. Curry is very easy and quick to make and loaded with flavor. It also allows you to play around with the ingredients.
If you’re not a fan of tofu, use chickpeas or white beans instead. Get creative. That’s what plant-based eating it all about.
Ready to go plant-based?
There are many health benefits to a plant-based diet. And if you’re ready to give it a try, there are many online resources available to help you transition smoothly.
The Meatless Monday Organization provides how-to guides, recipes, and a program to help you get there. Find out more here.
Forks over Knives also has a brilliant guide on plant-based eating. Get it here.
On a personal note, I tried going plant-based for the first time almost two years ago. It was supposed to be a 3-week challenge for me, as one of my New Year's resolutions. After the third week, I decided to keep going.
It changed my life for the better. More energy, better performance at the gym, better digestion, happier and overall healthier. As time goes by, it becomes easier and easier, and I love getting creative with what I eat.
Give it a try… the worse that can happen is you simply go back 😉