Besides the nutritional boost you get from eating more plant foods, there are good things about eating meatless meals and being a vegetarian sometimes. Vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat lovers, and have a longer life expectancy. And when eating a low-fat diet as well, they may have a lower risk of developing certain health conditions.

Eating less meat can help you save money too. While a pound of meat can cost about $3 to $5 or more, beans and lentils are less than $1 per pound, and tofu averages $2 per pound, saving you green while you eat veggie-style. Try these quick-to-fix dinner options:

• Lentils: Serve up soup for dinner! Simmer lentils in vegetable broth with chopped vegetables, canned diced tomatoes, thyme, and basil.
• Refried beans: Make meatless tostadas with the Old El Paso™ fat-free refried beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, reduced-fat cheese, and salsa.
• Tofu: Add firm tofu chunks to stir fries and serve with brown rice and vegetables.
• Soy “chicken” patties: Bake soy patties and top with tomato sauce and reduced-fat mozzarella cheese for meatless parmigiana.

Be sure to look around EatBetterEarly for recipe selections. You’ll find more hearty and delicious meatless meal ideas to try.