Are you ready for Meatless Monday?

March is National Nutrition Month, and the news is full of stories on how we as Americans need to eat better. In the past few years, the long-standing food pyramid has been replaced with My Plate, which simplifies putting together a healthy, balanced meal. There are articles about the dangers of a diet containing red meat, of eating too much dairy, or simply not eating enough vegetables. And don’t forget the horror stories about eating only chicken nuggets and how French fries will kill you.

But who has the time to plan and cook three healthy, veggie-full meals a day seven days a week? After all, it is so much easier to grab a donut or order pizza. And let’s face it, most of us think healthy food is boring and tasteless.

The trick is to start small, which is the concept behind Meatless Monday. This movement – in place since 2003 – encourages us to take just one day a week to put together healthy meals for our families. Try out eating veggies just one day a week. That’s 1/7 of your life eating healthy. Imagine what a difference that could make.

Try this for lunch or dinner: Black Bean Tostadas

Black beans | Photo by Kathryn Van Roosendaal, St. George News

These tasty tostadas are so full of flavor, you won’t miss the meat.

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

6 whole-wheat tortillas

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

4 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 avocado, diced

1 lime

Method:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the black beans, garlic salt and chili powder in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Top the tortillas with cheese and half the seasoned beans and heat the tortillas in the oven for about 10 minutes. While the tostadas are heating, combine the corn, tomatoes, avocados and lime juice in a large bowl. When the tortillas and beans are thoroughly heated, remove them from the oven. Top the bean tortillas with the corn relish and serve hot. Serves 6.

Read more about Meatless Monday and get plenty of recipes online at http://www.meatlessmonday.com.

 

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Copyright 2012 St. George News.

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2 Comments

  • Matty Jacobson March 26, 2012 at 1:22 am

    Fabulous article, and fabulous recipe!

  • Walter Hess March 26, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    I think you are doing a disservice by mentioning just veggies. I have a friend who is a vegetarian (ova-pescatraian), and she has gotten me eating a lot less meat than I used to. Besides fruits, and vegetables you also have dishes like pastas that are meatless. I love Indian cuisines,where many of the items served are vegetarian. I am not looking to convert fully, but I do eat a lot healthier now; less processed foods, more fresh fruits and veggies, etc… One result after having lunch with her during the work week was that I lost 10# of unwanted fat in the first month. Going meatless for one day is not that hard to do at all.

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