On the Menu: Viva vegetarian!
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Vegetarian and vegan diets have gained mainstream acceptance in recent years. While the percentage of the population that strictly follows such diets is small, a growing number of Americans are reducing the amount of meat in their diet to improve their health.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans didn't explicitly discourage meat consumption, but they did emphasize the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables while reducing overall caloric intake -- easily accomplished by eating smaller portions of meat or cutting meat out of a few meals a week while adding servings of fruits and vegetables.
Even restaurants are figuring out that a plate of vegetable side dishes won't cut it any more. In Pittsburgh, restaurants such as Salt of the Earth in Garfield, Spoon in East Liberty, Avenue B in Shadyside and Kaya in the Strip District offer fantastic options for vegetarian diners.
Want to learn more about cooking vegetables? Penn State Extension is holding a vegetable supper club that will meet 6 to 8:30 p.m. every Wednesday from Aug. 3 through Sept. 21 at the Mount Gallitzin Academy Cafeteria in Baden.
At each session, participants will learn about the health benefits of vegetables as well as ways to prepare them. Teams of participants will prepare three recipes each week, which they will take home to try.
The class is limited to 12 participants who must be 18 or older; $45 per person, register by July 27.
For more information, call Penn State Extension in Beaver County at 724-774-3003 or download the brochure at beaver.extension.psu.edu.
Cooking vegetarian meals can seem like a challenge for people who aren't used to it. But it doesn't have to be more difficult than a meat or fish-centered dinner; it just takes a slightly different frame of mind.
Last week, at the North American Vegetarian Society's annual Vegetarian Summerfest meeting in Johnstown, private chef and cookbook author Alan Roettinger held a cooking demonstration focused on plant-based protein. Now a vegan, Mr. Roettinger started writing about vegan cooking while he was still an omnivore, so he likes to call these recipes "vegan food for an omnivore's palate."
First Published July 17, 2011 12:00 am
