5 Meaty Meatless Meals

(This is a guest post from Marianna Ashley. Marianne writes on the topics of online colleges)

The foods we eat have a lot to do with living an eco-friendly lifestyle. For starters, buying organic produce from your local farmer's market is not only better for your health, but it also cuts down on your purchase of foods that must be mass-transported long distances by heavy CO2-emitting 18-wheelers. When what you need is not available at the farmer's market, cutting out meat is another green choice, as most of the factory-style farms involved in the raising of cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry currently make up an unsustainable industry (hello greenhouse gases!). Saying no to meat is often the toughest part of living the green lifestyle because lots of people associate a vegetarian diet with a lack of substance. So how can you nix meat and still stay full?

Check out these 5 "Meaty" Meatless Meals—so packed with protein and heft that you'll find you don't miss meat at all.

1. Eggplant parmesan.  The first time I tried this was at an Olive Garden restaurant in the U.S. It was delicious and I couldn't believe how full I got without eating any meat at all, especially with a side of pasta (whole wheat pasta is best). Turns out you can make this fairly easily at home after buying fresh eggplants (aubergine), eggs and some dried basil from your local farmer's market/ herb garden. All you'll really need from the grocery store are bread crumbs, spaghetti sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Check out this simple recipe.

2. Tofu pizza. This is so much better than it sounds, especially if you make it correctly. After all, it doesn't take long before you realize you can flavor tofu to create a zillion different tastes. A good starter recipe can be found here.

3. Spinach lasagna. You can make it without the black beans, but you'll miss out on the protein—plus the black beans add an unexpected twist on an old favorite.
 
4. Smoked cheddar and lentil burgers. This is a great veggie take on the traditional hamburger if you're not interested in soy patties. I stumbled upon this very filling recipe on Health.com.

5. White bean chili. The mixture of delicious beans in this chili dish makes for a very meaty-tasting meal. You can swap a quarter cup of them for every ounce of meat you would have put in your chili. Check out this white bean chili recipe with a kick of jalapeno that was featured in RealSimple.com. Bulgur wheat adds extra heft to this scrumptious chili, too.

How's that for some tips on going easy on the meat?

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