It’s not uncommon to set healthy resolutions for the new year and my husband and I are no different. Over the years, we’ve developed more of a tradition to start the year with the same resolution-  let’s go vegetarian for as long as we can.

I don’t know how it really started but a few years ago my husband decided to start the year off with something more restrictive than say- limiting desserts or eating out less. No, he’s an all-or-nothing kind of guy and finds portion control very difficult. So instead of deciding to eat a little less, he decided to cut out what is probably his favorite foods- meat. He’s a BBQ ribs, smothered chicken, let’s Southern fry this, type of guy so when meat is in front of him, it’s really going down. Maybe that’s why he decided he needs to take the option of meat out entirely in order for him to work on increasing fruit and veggies in his daily life. So here we are again. Vegetarian together and its become a fun challenge to beat the previous years record.

For anyone considering vegetarian life-style, I encourage you to find your main go-to protein sources first and everything else tends to fall into place. Adding fruits, vegetables, and our favorite grains is the easy part so here are a few tips for figuring out the protein.

Vegetarian Protein Sources

Eggs

Top of the list has got to go to eggs. We love them and my parents raise chickens so we get farm-fresh on demand. We scramble them, put them in burritos, boil them, make quiche with veggies, and make devilled eggs for snacks. If you are worried about cholesterol, you can always get egg-beaters but since we are cutting out all other animal meat (high in cholesterol and saturated fat), we have reduced cholesterol intake significantly already so we don’t sweat it.

Soy Crumbles

We love soy crumbles which we use just like we would ground beef, and an added bonus is it’s faster to cook. We use this in sauce for pasta, stir-fry, zucchini boats (baked zucchini shells filled with soy crumbles and cheese),  and even for Shepherd’s pie! It’s fun to experiment with and find new ways to use it in commonly used recipes.

Beans

Whenever we go vegetarian, it’s like we remember beans! I can go months without eating them but I find myself running to them once the meat is gone. We can be satisfied with a simple dinner of beans and rice with okra and tomatoes or a great big pot of bean soup which really hits the spot with the cold weather.

Whey Protein

I feel like most people just use whey protein powder in smoothies which is a great idea and we utilize this for breakfast or a quick meal when we don’t feel like cooking, but it can be used in many other ways! We love adding it to pancake mix or oatmeal as a way to pack protein in a meal that otherwise provides mostly carbohydrates.

Fish

This is just for me because my husband is adamant about being a strict vegetarian who is okay with dairy and eggs but no meat or fish when he starts his resolution. I on the other hand, have no problem with including fish. Out of respect to him, when I’m not around him, I do tend to include fish or shrimp as my protein options. I think it’s important people know that they can be vegetarian and choose fish, eggs, and dairy products! This specific pattern is called a “pescatarian” and it’s a great lifestyle.

There are many other things to include but these are our go-to choices for meals. We are going strong now but tend to struggle when faced with parties with limited options or checking out an amazing restaurant with tempting non-vegetarian options. We aren’t sweating it though. It’s fun and we are in it together.  Besides, my personal resolution is less stress so here’s to peace and health!