Our new Eco Pan range is all about helping busy home cooks to protect the earth, one pan at a time.
But while we all know that we should be eating less meat and more plants, what if you don’t want to give up bacon sandwiches and Mum’s Sunday Roast completely?
‘Flexitarianism’ or ‘casual vegetarianism’ is an increasingly popular choice of diet which aims to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health. It allows you to cook - and - eat more sustainably, by integrating more beans, grains and plant-based proteins into your diet.
But what is ‘flexitarianism’ and how does it work?
A flexitarian diet can be summed up in the words of food writer, Michael Pollan. ""Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."" The focus is mostly on plant-based foods, with the inclusion of small amounts of meat, poultry and fish. It’s not about depriving yourself of the things you love to eat. Instead, it’s looking at how you can incorporate tasty plant-based alternatives into your everyday meals. These can include lentils, beans, peas, nuts and seeds which are all excellent sources of protein.
Flexitarian diets have been shown to be high in vitamins, fibre and nutrients. Plus, research has shown that following a flexitarian diet combined with regular physical activity can help reduce cholesterol as well as your risk of cancer.,
If cutting out meat entirely sounds like it could be too much of a challenge for you and your family, start small. Why not try Meat Free Mondays, for example? Cutting out meat for one day a week can make a huge difference - and can also encourage you to get creative in the kitchen with some scrummy vegetarian recipes.
If you do choose to eat meat, look at choosing less red meat and more poultry, such as chicken and turkey. Following a Flexitarian diet is also a great way of introducing more soluble fibres into your meals, such as lentils and beans. Eating more pulses is also a fab way to keep your heart healthy and reduce cholesterol. Nuts and seeds such as pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts are also high in the heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats which help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and provide essential fatty acids.
However you decide to interpret Flexitarianism, don’t forget to have fun! Use it as an excuse to pull out those pots and pans and introduce your family to some exciting, bold new flavours -as well as some new additions to their five-a-day!,Here’s a few of our favourite recipes to get you started:
PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM FAJITAS: These mouth-watering fajitas are a great (and easy) way to get the kids to each more veg. Best of all, they only take ten minutes to throw together in our new Eco Frying Pan making them the perfect mid-week treat
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE RISOTTO: This butternut squash and sage risotto from BBC Food is easy, adaptable and the perfect use for our new Eco Pan Stockpot. It can easily be modified to suit a vegan day (hold the meat and cheese), a vegetarian day (add the Parmesan), or an omnivorous day (throw in some bacon), making it the ultimate flexitarian meal.
CRISPY GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED PEPPERS, CHILLI, ROSEMARY AND RICOTTA: We highly recommend getting your biggest roasting tin out for this delicious, family friendly recipe from Rukmini Iyer. Once you’ve tasted it, you’ll certainly be wanting seconds!
VEGGIE FEJIOADA WITH SWEET POTATO AND KIDNEY BEANS: We love Jamie Oliver’s unique veggie take on this classic Brazilian stew. Best of all, it’s packed full of iron-rich pulses which are a fantastic source of iron and fibre.
SWEET POTATO AND PARSNIP CURRY: Who doesn’t love curry night? This fragrant and warming recipe from The Flexitarian is a fab way to use up any odds and ends hanging around your veg drawer. Feeling inspired? You can find plenty of cooking tips as well as delicious recipes over on our Instagram, @YourPrestigeKitchen
‘Flexitarianism’ or ‘casual vegetarianism’ is an increasingly popular choice of diet which aims to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health. It allows you to cook - and - eat more sustainably, by integrating more beans, grains and plant-based proteins into your diet.
But what is ‘flexitarianism’ and how does it work?
HOW DOES A FLEXITARIAN DIET WORK?
A flexitarian diet can be summed up in the words of food writer, Michael Pollan. ""Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."" The focus is mostly on plant-based foods, with the inclusion of small amounts of meat, poultry and fish. It’s not about depriving yourself of the things you love to eat. Instead, it’s looking at how you can incorporate tasty plant-based alternatives into your everyday meals. These can include lentils, beans, peas, nuts and seeds which are all excellent sources of protein.
ARE THERE ANY HEALTH BENEFITS?
Flexitarian diets have been shown to be high in vitamins, fibre and nutrients. Plus, research has shown that following a flexitarian diet combined with regular physical activity can help reduce cholesterol as well as your risk of cancer.,
SOUNDS GREAT! WHERE DO I START?
If cutting out meat entirely sounds like it could be too much of a challenge for you and your family, start small. Why not try Meat Free Mondays, for example? Cutting out meat for one day a week can make a huge difference - and can also encourage you to get creative in the kitchen with some scrummy vegetarian recipes.
If you do choose to eat meat, look at choosing less red meat and more poultry, such as chicken and turkey. Following a Flexitarian diet is also a great way of introducing more soluble fibres into your meals, such as lentils and beans. Eating more pulses is also a fab way to keep your heart healthy and reduce cholesterol. Nuts and seeds such as pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts are also high in the heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats which help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and provide essential fatty acids.
However you decide to interpret Flexitarianism, don’t forget to have fun! Use it as an excuse to pull out those pots and pans and introduce your family to some exciting, bold new flavours -as well as some new additions to their five-a-day!,Here’s a few of our favourite recipes to get you started:
PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM FAJITAS: These mouth-watering fajitas are a great (and easy) way to get the kids to each more veg. Best of all, they only take ten minutes to throw together in our new Eco Frying Pan making them the perfect mid-week treat
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE RISOTTO: This butternut squash and sage risotto from BBC Food is easy, adaptable and the perfect use for our new Eco Pan Stockpot. It can easily be modified to suit a vegan day (hold the meat and cheese), a vegetarian day (add the Parmesan), or an omnivorous day (throw in some bacon), making it the ultimate flexitarian meal.
CRISPY GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED PEPPERS, CHILLI, ROSEMARY AND RICOTTA: We highly recommend getting your biggest roasting tin out for this delicious, family friendly recipe from Rukmini Iyer. Once you’ve tasted it, you’ll certainly be wanting seconds!
VEGGIE FEJIOADA WITH SWEET POTATO AND KIDNEY BEANS: We love Jamie Oliver’s unique veggie take on this classic Brazilian stew. Best of all, it’s packed full of iron-rich pulses which are a fantastic source of iron and fibre.
SWEET POTATO AND PARSNIP CURRY: Who doesn’t love curry night? This fragrant and warming recipe from The Flexitarian is a fab way to use up any odds and ends hanging around your veg drawer. Feeling inspired? You can find plenty of cooking tips as well as delicious recipes over on our Instagram, @YourPrestigeKitchen
