Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, there’s nothing wrong with eating a few meatless meals every once in a while. As a matter of fact, there are many good reasons to do so, and those benefits range from your health to your wallet to the environment. Don’t believe me? Read up on all of the benefits, courtesy of the official Meatless Monday website.
If you’re interested in reducing your carbon footprint while simultaneously reducing your risk of heart disease and obesity, take a step in the right direction: go meatless today! While you may be unprepared to whip up a meatless meal tonight, luck is on your side, because there are plenty of restaurants in the Metro Detroit area where you’ll be able to find meat-free entrees. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Café Jole, 30801 Schoenherr Rd., Warren, offers some of the tastiest Mediterranean food around. I know, you’re probably thinking, “Mediterranean food automatically equals chicken Shawarma for me,” but not this time. Break out of your comfort zone and explore some meatless options!
Some great choices include the Chipotle Black Bean Burger (with your choice of cheese), Falafel Sandwich (rolled with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and tahini sauce) or Vegetarian Ghallaba (veggie stir fry with carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions).
There are also plenty of meat-free appetizers for the table to share, including Hommous, Baba Ghanooj or Spinach Pie.
Sportsman’s Pizzeria, 2425 Fort St., Wyandotte, has been dishing up pizza pies for over 25 years, and if you’re hankering for a pizza on meatless Monday, you can still get your fix! Specialty pizzas appropriate for today include the Deluxe Veggie (with red peppers, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, spinach, garlic, red onions and sun-dried tomatoes), California Medley (Alfredo sauce with artichoke hearts, zucchini, squash and sun-dried tomatoes) and Grilled Veggie (with artichoke hearts, zucchini, squash, red pepper and seasoned onion).
If you’re more in the mood for a sub, try the Cold Veggie (cucumber, red onion, pepper, tomato, southwest ranch and Provolone cheese) or Grilled Veggie (artichoke hearts, zucchini, squash, onion and red pepper topped with pizza sauce).
East Side Mario’s, with locations in Livonia and Rochester Hills, is casual enough where you don’t feel guilty going out for a spur of the moment dinner, but nice enough where you’re going to thoroughly enjoy your meal.
Should your palate crave pasta, order Mama’s Baked Ziti (with Napolitana sauce, fresh basil, roasted garlic and three types of cheese), Angel Hair Primavera (a blend of seasonal veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, snow peas, herbs and Parmesan cheese with Primavera sauce) or Eggplant Parmesan (breaded eggplant topped with spinach and artichoke mix, layers of cheese and served with spaghetti and sauce).
There’s also a Vegetarian pizza on the menu that makes a great sharable plate for the table. It’s topped with bruschetta tomatoes, red and green peppers, caramelized onions, sliced mushrooms, pizza sauce and a blend of four cheeses.
The Fly Trap, 22950 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, has plenty of items to suit your meatless needs, from breakfast through dinner. Starting your day off with the Veggie Rumble (roasted veggies, Provolone cheese and spinach with your choice of eggs or tofu) is never a bad idea.
The best option, however, can be found under the “Between Bread” section of the menu: the Tempting Tempeh, a veggie burger served on a house roll with all of the fixin’s. If that doesn’t suit your palate, try the Pea Patch, a sandwich with eggplant, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and Provolone cheese with poblano herb pesto. (Please note, while this article about “Meatless Monday,” The Fly Trap is not in fact open on Mondays, so you will have to be crafty and turn your meatless day into Meatless Wednesday or something like that).
See, going meatless for just one day a week really isn’t that difficult. Adopting a few new lifestyle changes may seem daunting at first, but is it really too much of a task to wait until later in the week to eat a plate of bacon and a cheeseburger? You might even find yourself choosing the meatless route more than one day a week! Good luck to you.