Meatless March 2020

A year ago, I took a stab at Meatless March. It was not so hard. So we're doing it again, people, although I'm going to be perfectly honest and let you know that I did not finish a tub of smoked salmon in my fridge before Mar. 1, and I fully intend to finish it during this otherwise meatless month. Over-consuming animal products is an environmental problem, but so is food waste (seriously).

You won't be seeing a new recipe from me every day because I've been largely vegetarian for a year, and when I need an idea for a meal, I often look back at my own blog posts. Tonight, for example, I made a grain bowl, just like I first did on November 12.

Roasted brussels sprouts, broccolini, and chickpeas; homemade pickled carrots; quinoa; sauce. Mmmmmmm. And healthy!

This is a loose recipe for deliciousness. It was particularly rewarding because I had some leftover kale and cilantro in my fridge from a previous recipe. It only takes 4 large kale leaves to make a packed cup of chopped kale for the grain bowl sauce, and that's exactly what I had.

Kale-cilantro sauce. Don't ask about my odd expression. My selfie game has been a little off.

I have not been the only one focused on vegetarianing (and veganing on Vednesdays) this past year. According to Gallup in January, "Nearly one in four Americans (23%) report eating less meat in the past year than they had previously." Many of Gallup's survey respondents were eating less meat for health reasons. To me, that's a magical thing, because the whole darned world reaps the environmental benefits of those people's choice to be healthier.

And even if 72% of Americans have NOT reduced their meat consumption, and environmental concerns aren't behind most people's dietary changes away from meat, at least protecting the environment is becoming a greater priority. In February, Pew Research Center reported that "nearly as many Americans say protecting the environment should be a top policy priority (64%) as say this about strengthening the economy (67%)" for the first time in its polling history. Progress!

It has nothing to do with vegetarianism, but I'm so lucky that two of my college roomies visited me last weekend!