Meal Planning 101

A couple of weeks ago a commenter told me he was seriously considering switching to a vegetarian diet, but he'd like to see a sample menu for a week. Ever since then I've been giving this some thought, but today I came across this from vegcooking.com (a great source for free recipes). Here's the pdf form of the two week menu plan which includes recipes. At a glance, it seems pretty reasonable, though I admit I don't generally do that much recipe-following throughout the week. Most of our meals are made on the fly, dishes I've got pinned down with no need to consult a recipe.

I suspect this is how most omnivores cook. It's easy, isn't it, to throw together a meat and two side dishes? Mentally, anyway—you still have to wait for the meat to thaw, and make sure it's cooked thoroughly, then scrub the fat and grease off the pots and pans.

So let's see if I can make the mental part of vegetarianism any easier.

Instead of deciding which cut of meat you want to cook each night, think in broad terms.

Which pasta or grain are you in the mood for?
Pasta with tomato sauce, pasta with white beans and greens, rice with beans or veggie stir-fry, couscous with Moroccan veggies, polenta with mushroom sauce, soba noodles with stir fry, barley in soup, quinoa or bulgur tabouli, or quick-cooking brown rice with leftover black beans?

Beans, legumes, or neither?
Black bean chili? White beans and spelt salad?  Split pea soup? Bean burgers? African peanut soup? Hoppin' John? Ethiopian lentil soup?

Think globally:
Mexican or Italian? Thai or Chinese? Greek or Indian? Africa has lots of ethnic dishes to choose from as well: Egyptian, Moroccan, Ethiopian, Tunisian. Don't forget the Americas: North America has many different ethnic influences—southern food is often naturally vegetarian (due more to poverty than anything else). For more inspiration, IVU has recipes from around the world, all vegetarian. At vegcooking.com you can browse by cuisine type.

Fill it up:
Tarts, pies, pasties, pizza, spanakopita, grape leaves, quiches—there's no end to what you can stuff. And we haven't even started on casseroles.

Substitute:
Tofu, tempeh, and other soy products can often fill in, ounce for ounce, for meat and dairy. And don't forget seitan, the other white non-meat. Commercial substitutes made with soy or Quorn are convenient and tasty. (Don't let fear of Tofurkey keep you from a healthy lifestyle!) Boca and Morningstar Farms are available at mainstream U.S. supermarkets, while other products are in plentiful supply at health food stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and locally owned shops. Try: Vegan Lemon Chicken.

Rethink geometry:
Think of your plate as round, instead of one of those divided Chinet plates. Instead of a meat and two sides, pile a mound of veggies, beans, or stew on top of a grain. Serve appetizers, a green salad, or fruit on the side, or just go straight to dessert—you've earned the calories!

Okay, I couldn't resist linking to some recipes. But most meals can be prepared without cracking open a website or a cookbook. Use recipes to give you an idea, and then branch off on your own, depending on what's in your fridge or pantry. (Or you could be smart, and buy ingredients after finding a recipe you want to try. I tend to be last minute and scatterbrained about such things.)

Meals in a hurry:
•Make falafel from a mix, stuff into pita halves.
•Add what you like to a pre-made pizza crust.
•Use soy crumbles to make tacos.
•Sauté pre-prepared polenta, add mushroom sauce or black beans, tomatoes and corn on top.
•Toss some veggies, potatoes, and kidney beans in a soup pot. Boil.
•Saute veggies and tofu, make a sauce with cornstarch and soy sauce, serve over rice. Call it Chinese.
•Boil spaghetti, slash up some garlic, open a can of white beans and you've got yourself pasta e fagoli.
•Rice, beans, and onions equal a quick and hearty meal.*

See how easy that was?

*Sauté onion and maybe green pepper in oil, add a can of black beans and a can of tomatoes, and some jalapeno for a kick, and serve over rice. Ready in less time than it takes Dominoes to deliver.

Comments

[TChem]

I think the "rethink geometry" is a really important thing. I almost never make a "main" dish and a "side" dish, although I'll have black beans and rice with fajitas, or salad with my stuffed shells, or a plate full of rice topped with curry. There are things in there that have been prepared separately, but not often presented as such.

I'm always meaning to put together an average week of eating vegetarian as a sample thing for non-veggies, but since eating is an everyday thing, I always forget after a meal or two. You've reminded me to try again, though. Thanks!

[Jo]

Just so happens I made the Ethiopian lentil soup mentioned above last weekend. It was very quick to make and delicious. Leftovers were just as good if not better.

[KathyF]

TChem: if you do make that weekly menu, please let me know.

Jo: What a coincidence! I searched her site a few times today for goodies. Everything I've made of hers has been fantastic.

[foodie]

Good stuff, KSF---rethinking or reimagining is what so much is about, isn't it?

[John]

Thank you. No, really, thanks! How great it is to have you spend all this time and energy responding to my request. I know others will be just as grateful as I am, but I am now feeling like I damn sure BETTER go veggie after all your work! I'll let you know how it goes.

[KathyR]

Agree with TChem that the geometry is totally the stumbling block for non-vegs who want to go more (if not totally) veg.

Good post.

[Gina]

Great post! Lots of ... er... food for thought.

[cookiecrumb]

Comment to John: Don't freak out if you don't "go veggie" all of a sudden. You can make mistakes. Ease into it. No guilt.
I eat meat, but I eat intelligently, and I eat a LOT of vegetables and grain. I have a great diet.
KathyF: That was a really nice roundup you did for John. You pretty much described a lot of my meals. The thing is, not to go into it with a nutritionist's guilt list. It should be a wondrous, delicious adventure.

[KathyF]

Cookiecrumb, I would probably never be mistaken for a nutritionist, with my prodigious chocolate consumption! It just so happens that many of my favorite foods are also healthy, however, as well as healthier for the planet. Yay for that!