It may seem like summer is the obvious season to experiment with Meat Free Mondays.

This movement that encourages us to choose at least one day a week to go completely meat-free, for the benefit of our own health as well as the health of the planet. 

But I think winter works just as well, for different reasons. Rather than cold salads, we naturally crave hearty and warming meals like stews and soups. And we can indulge in an abundance of delicious choices with the crop of the season: root vegetables.

Meat production is a serious issue in relation to the global environment—every bit (if not more so) as serious as fossil fuel consumption. But it is big business and not likely to be moderated unless meat consumption declines significantly.

By choosing at least one day a week to go meat-free, non-vegetarian environmentalists can still make a difference on this important matter. If you’re tempted to start developing a Meat-Free-Monday habit, here’s some root vegetable recipes to inspire you:

Breakfast: Ruby Red Juice

This recipe is simply a suggestion. The great thing about juicing is that you can combine whatever fruit and vegetable appeal to you and be guided by what’s in your kitchen. But if you haven’t tried a beetroot juice, you’re missing out—juiced beetroot is silky and delicious. My own favorite combination is beetroot, carrot, apple and a small piece of ginger.

Lunch: Beet Salad

The other way I love beetroot is roasted—the great thing about this recipe is that it can be eaten warm or cold. You can roast your beet the evening before if you don’t work from home and need to speed up the process when getting ready to leave in the morning. You don’t necessarily have to roast it either—you can boil or steam. Once the beets are cooked, it’s quick to put the rest of it together.

Dinner: Savory Vegan Veggie Crumble

This recipe involves a hokkaido pumpkin, which we don’t see much of in Ireland and tomatoes (not a root vegetable). But you can use pretty much any combination of your favorite vegetables—my choice is carrots, parsnip, (even more) beetroot and red onions. It’s pretty simple to prepare and makes for a delightfully warming winter meal.

If there’s too much beetroot in this meal plan for your taste, please check out the archives for lots of alternatives. And we’d love some new vegetarian and vegan recipes to share with our readers, so please consider submitting your own.

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Relephant:

Top Seasonal Foods for our Pantries & Bellies.

Hearty Fall Options for a Meat Free Monday.

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Author: Hilda Carroll

Image: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock