Vegetarian Star

"The Food Matters Cookbook" Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman‘s latest book, The Food Matters Cookbook, is filled with recipes designed for the flexitarian or those looking to consume less meat. Bittman gave an interview to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette where the topic of a study indicating Americans aren’t getting enough fruits and vegetables came up.

Bittman insists that most people would reduce meat intake if they had the resources, whether that’d be through enticing recipes, food stores or money, but questioned the reality that everyone could become vegetarian or vegan.

“Just about every study and survey show that people want to eat more fruits and vegetables and are aware of the benefits of eating less meat. They just don’t know how to do it,” Bittman said.

“A conservative estimate is that 80 percent of what we eat should come from unprocessed plants, which is such a big turnaround that we won’t be able to achieve it in our lifetimes. To say everyone needs to be a vegan is a nice idea, but that’s kind of like saying everyone should ride a bicycle. It’s simply not going to happen. The challenge then is, how do we move in that direction of eating less of A and more of B?”

For those needing to get to point B in their diets, Bittman suggests his “vegan until six,” approach, where every meal except dinner is vegetarian, swearing off processed meat or only eating meat a few times a month.

“”The Food Matters Cookbook” is another good step. I actually think in five years it will seem primitive, but today it’s a radical departure from what cuisine has looked like over the last 100 years. It doesn’t leave anything out — there are still meat and poultry, and traditional methods of cooking — but by emphasizing fruits and plants and de-emphasizing animal products, it turns things around.”

Bittman’s Whole Wheat Carrot Gnocchi is just one example of vegetarian recipes found in the Food Matters Cookbook. Not only does it give a meatless idea for dinner, but teaches the lesson of cooking entirely from scratch as even the gnocchi is handmade. The recipe and instructions for Whole Wheat Carrot Gnocchi can be found here.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro