If you’ve decided to join us in our Meatless in May campaign but need a little motivation or some help figuring out how to go forward, check out these resources that can help you on along your way.

Books To Get You Started:

Vegetarian Beginner’s Guide from the Vegetarian Times: Designed specifically for novice vegetarians or the veggie curious, this book will give you the low down on nutrition and fitness information, menus, how to stock your pantry and more.  Great for first time veggies.

Gaia’s Kitchen from Chelsea Green Publishing: If you’re looking for well tested, delicious vegetarian recipes Gaia’s Kitchen is right up your alley.  Awarded the 2001World Cookbook Award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook, Gaia’s Kitchen calls upon the best in vegetarian from the Mediterranean, Californian, Indian and Mexican.  Gaia’s got you covered from main courses to deserts and everything in between.  The book also discusses the ecological dimension of food production.

Ideas to Try During Meatless in May:

If you’ve been itching away at trying out a CSA, what better time is it than now that you’re going veg.  Research online to find your local CSA farmers.  If you live in Los Angeles check out the Tierra Miguel Foundation or try Paradiso.com (a company that delivers fresh, locally raised organic produce right to your door.)   Also be sure to see what fresh foods are in season at your local farmer’s markets.

If you’re interested in learning more about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) check out Sharing the Harvest.  The book discusses how Community Supported Agriculture “is the answer to the globalization of our food supply.”  The authors provide insight into how to make CSA a viable economic model for our time.

Video to Watch:

A Meatless Mondays You Tube: Check out this you tube from Meatless Mondays on how “reviving the Presidential Tradition of Meatless Monday can help reduce your carbon footprint, improve our health and bring us together as a nation.”

Resources For Eating Meat (Once Meatless in May is Over):

The Compassionate Carnivore (Or how to keep animals happy, save old McDonald’s Farm, reduce your hoof print, and still eat meat): This book is a great resource for people who love to eat meat, but have ethical concerns about doing so.  As a farmer, Catherine Friend shares her own struggles to become a compassionate carnivore and shares tools that can be used to negotiate a world of “humanely-raised meat.”

Sustainable Table’s Glossary of Meat Production Methods: The folks at Sustainable Table have created a handout that can be folded up into a nice wallet-sized guide that is perfect for shopping.  The guide contains an up to date listing of sustainable meat farming practices definitions and is an excellent tool to help you figure out confusing labels at the store.  Definitions include: pasture-raised, organic, no antibiotics, cage-free and more.

You can download the guide here.

A Delicious Vegetarian Recipe from Amy Vig of Delicious by Nature:

Here’s a delicious recipe from Amy Vig that uses seasonal ingredients that will leave you satisfied and NOT asking the age old question, “where’s the beef?”

Spring Risotto with Lemon Chimichurri

Spring is officially here and the Farmer’s Markets are full of all kinds of wonderful produce.  If you haven’t signed up already, now would be a great time to commite to Meatless in May and really take advantage of all of the fresh, healthy bounty that is currently available.

Not convinced about going meatless? Afraid of what you’ll eat? Let me assure you that there’s plenty to keep you full, happy, and healthy without meat.  Particular highlights include vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains.  The recipe below combines some of the best of these options in one dish.  View the complete recipe here.

Tags: Compasionate Carnivores, CSA, Delicious By Nature, Meatless in May, Meatless Mondays, Sustainable Table, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Times