If we take the time to think about how much meat we all eat, we would probably all agree that we could do with adding some more varied types of protein to our healthy eating diets and pregnancy weight loss plans so that we get a wider range of nutrients and are not relying on meat too much – which has a higher saturated fat content than other protein sources.
Other protein sources include eggs, tofu, cheese, legumes (beans, lentils, peas), nuts and fish and on a Monday, I try and go for a meat free dinner and make sure that I use as many vegetables and legumes as possible, and below is one of my favourite dishes to make and is literally packed with goodness!
Meat free vegetable and lentil bolognaise
Ingredients
- Half a pack of soba noodles – or use wholemeal pasta
- 1 tin of lentils
- 1 bunch of brocollini or a cup of brocolli florets
- 1 cup of green beans
- 1/2 cup of spring onions
- 1/4 cup of freshly chopped basil
- 1 x red/green/yellow capsicum – chopped into strips
- 1 x pot of ready made pasta tomato sauce or make your own using 1 x tin of tomatoes (or 6 large fresh ones) plus 1 x clove of garlic and 2 x tbsp of tomato paste
- 1/2 a bag of spinach leaves
- 4 x cloves of cracked black pepper
- 2 x tbsp of greek yoghurt
Directions
Cook the soba noodles for approx 10-15 minutes then in a large frying pan add in all of the ingredients and veggies and cook for approximately 5-10 minutes – adding in the basil and yoghurt at the end. Then add the soba noodles to your vegetable mix, stir well and serve/ This is really easy to make and has minimal washing up
Servings 3. Calories per serve 450
Why is a diet high in vegetables so good?
A well-balanced vegetarian diet is generally lower in fat and higher in fibre than a meat eating diet and vegetarians are less likely to develop heart disease and high blood pressure problems. Adopting vegetarian principles into a mainstream diet, and going meat-free at least one day per week can help bring these benefits to the meat eating population too.
Misconceptions
Many people are reluctant to try a vegetarian day once per week as they are unsure about alternative sources of protein. They may also be concerned that a vegetarian diet may not be suitable for the whole family. It may be true that it takes a little more thought and effort into preparing a vegetarian meal, especially for people who are accustomed to eating meat every day, but there are many appropriate sources of protein and nearly all vegetarian meals are suitable for all of the family.
Sources of Protein
Although meat is undeniably a good source of protein, there are many other foods available to vegetarians which are equally good. Grains such as quinoa, which can be eaten as a substitute for rice or pasta is very high in protein and fibre. Beans, peas and lentils are rich in protein too, and can be used to create appetizing dishes such as vegetarian chillis, spicy Indian dahl or soups. Nuts and seeds are a protein-rich snack and dairy products and eggs are also high in protein levels. Many of us will have tins of lentils and a box of eggs in the cupboard and no special shopping trip is required to make a tasty vegetarian meal.
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