Most people who’ve never tried vegetarianism usually can’t imagine a dinner plate without meat. Luckily it’s easier than you think, especially if it’s only for one day a week. The campaign for ‘Meatless Monday’ is increasingly popular because the idea is simple: one day per week, cut out the meat (it doesn’t have to be Monday of course!). It’s a great way to eat more fruit and vegetables and comes with a ream of health benefits as well as being good for your pocket and even the environment. Give it a go with our 14 brilliant & tasty tips!

#1 Lose Weight

Swapping out high fat animal foods for healthy plant foods can help you lose weight and meet your dieting goals.

Photo: Giphy

#2 Give Your Breakfast a Portable Makeover

‘Meatless Monday’ is ideal for making energising on-the-go breakfasts to fuel your body for the day. Try overnight oats or whole grain cereal topped with vegan yogurt and fresh fruit, or how about a superfood smoothie?

#3 Reimagine Classic Dishes

Going veggie for the day doesn’t mean you can’t have your favourite meals. Just get creative and find meat substitutes. For example, take General Tso’s chicken and use cauliflower instead, or turn your avocados into a sauce for a veggie pasta carbonara.

Photo: Damn Delicious

#4 Think Soup

Soup is an easy way to succeed at ‘Meatless Monday’. Filling, easy-to-make and delicious too!

Photo: Serious Eats

#5 No Excuses

Veggie cooking is actually pretty easy. Best of all, you can say goodbye to fears of undercooking chicken and poisoning your dinner guests!

Photo: Brit + Co

#6 Change Your Mindset

‘Meatless Monday’ isn’t about subtraction, try looking at it as an opportunity to add new foods and incredible flavours. Fill the gap on your plate with a whole world of beautiful and interesting beans, grains and vegetables.

Photo: Giphy

#7 Make The Most of The Day

Take the time to use your veggie day to prep fruit and veg for the entire week: freeze berries for breakfasts, make fruit pots and trail mixes for lunches, and peel and cut veg for dinners.

Photo: The Pioneer Woman

#8 Veggie Pizza

Yes, there is such a thing as pizza on ‘Meatless Monday’, as long as it’s of the veggie variety. And yes, it’s delicious.

Photo: Giphy

#9 Help Your Pocket

Cutting out meat from time to time can save you money too. Meatless meals are built around vegetables, beans and grains, which are generally inexpensive compared with most meats.

Photo: Giphy

#10 Healthier For The Planet

‘Meatless Monday’ isn’t just good for you, it’s more eco friendly too! The meat producing industry requires a lot more resources than the growing of veggies meaning you can improve your carbon footprint by scaling back your meat consumption. Obviously, there’s also the ethical benefits of not eating animals to consider!

Photo: Mhglb

#11 Don’t Fret About The Protein

You might be worried about giving up meats, because you don’t think you’ll be able to get enough protein into your diet. Wrong! There are many meatless protein options available; try quinoa, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, seitan, tempeh, tofu, and veggie burgers.

Photo: Life Providr

#12 Enjoy The Health Benefits

There’s a ton of health reasons to get more fruit and veg into your diet, including protecting your heart, strengthening your immune system, reducing the risk of many diseases, improving your eyesight and keeping your skin looking youthful. Not bad!

Photo: Giphy

#13 Fall in Love With Cooking Again

Learning new veggie cooking techniques can spice up things in the kitchen and open up a whole new world of creative possibilities.

Photo: Giphy

#14 Make It A Group Activity!

One of the biggest challenges of going meatless is convincing those around you to join in. Arm yourself with the facts and benefits and as long as the food is tasty and filling, you should be absolutely fine!

Photo: New York Times