Do Vegetarians Only Eat Side Dishes?

I know.

The tree huggers of this world want us to go vegetarian, or maybe even vegan in order to save our planet. They might be right, but it’s quite a stretch from where we are today. Growing up in an Italian/Spanish/American/Austrian family… meat was the center of the meal and the vegetables were always on the side.

I struggled with the all veg concept.

• How can vegetarians only eat side dishes?
• How do they survive?
• Do they feel something is missing?

So… I took one baby step forward.

Instead of taking meat out 100%, I flipped the meat/veg ratio.

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Make meat the accent versus the main focus

• Meat has slowly become an accent versus the main focus of my meals. And I love it.
• Wok vegetables and a bit of slice steak on top.
• Pasta with rockin tomato sauce and a meatball.
• Ginormous salad with a few strips grilled chicken.
• Butternut Squash stuffed with quinoa, vegetables and a few pieces of chopped salciccia (Italian sausage.)
• Bean tacos, cheese, peppers, chili and a bit of guacamole. (Ooops that’s all vegetarian)

So is it true, do vegetarians only eat side dishes?

No, not at all. Here are my favorite vegetarian/vegan dishes.

• Black Bean Tacos and Tangy Cabbage
• Creamed Mushrooms on Toast
• Zucchini Spaghetti
• Chocolate Protein Truffles

As a former mega-meat eater, going in the vegetarian direction, I promise it's not as bad as it sounds. It’s actually amazing.

AND any little bit will help our planet ;-) and your body.