Vegetarian Star

From July 25th-July 31st, you’re invited to celebrate National Salad Week. According to a press release from the Association for Dressings and Sauces (yes, it actually exist), 95% of Americans eat salad at least three times a week and people who eat salads regularly are perceived as “healthier, happier and sexier” (must be the phallic shaped asparagus or libido enhancing celery ).

To help kick off the celebration, we bring you Mark Bittman’s collection of 101 Simple Salads for the Season. The flexitarian food writer who coined the phrase “vegan until 6,” has devoted an entire section to vegetarian and mostly vegan, although many salads not included in the category do not contain meat or cheese. The noodle category also contains many vegetarian options.

Here are a few of our favorite leaf collections packed with plant based protein:

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“Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible.”

–Mark Bittman, author who applies the eat vegan before 6:00PM approach to reduce his meat intake, in an New York Times article titled Rethinking the Meat Guzzler.

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Mark Bittman’s “Vegan Before Six” approach to reducing your meat intake is becoming popular, but it’s not the only way to do vegetarian part time.

In an article from MSN, over a dozen suggestions are made for eating less meat, and some may surprise or even entertain you.

For example, there’s the “Don’t Go There,” approach:

“Avoid the meat areas of your supermarket. Out of sight, out of mind, right? It works for me.”

Ask veggie friends to cook for you (better yet, pay them to do so):
“If you have similar pals, watch them cook. Ask how they get by. Eat with them. Vegetarians are experts at non-meat lifestyles, and you can learn a lot just by hanging out in their circles.”

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An ABC special recently highlighted the growing popularity of part time veganism, which has been attributed to author and New York Times contributor Mark Bittman with his “Vegan before 6,” approach.

The clip features Reggie Bass, who lost 40 pounds going on a raw vegan diet, and now has a business that sells prepared vegan foods.

“I would like to see people eat 100 percent raw vegan, but I don’t think it’s realistic at all. But I think that if people were even 80 percent raw and 20 percent,” says Bass in the video.

Scenes from interviews with Bittman and associate publisher of VegNews magazine Colleen Holland are also included.

“I made this rule for myself which was — okay I’m going to be a vegan, a really strict vegan until six at night, or until I eat dinner. And I’m going to eat whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, that’s it until 6 p.m.,” said Bittman.

“Everyone may have their opinions, I think for most people we know the world isn’t going vegan tomorrow. We know that would be the best thing for the planet, the best thing for the animals and it would be the best thing for human health, but this may be the first step in going towards that,” said Holland.

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Mark Bittman took a jog with vegan marathoner Scott Jurek before heading over to his home to eat a meal cooked by the athlete and discuss his diet and career for Bittman’s column in the New York Times.

The pair ate a greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, seaweed, a tofu and vegetable dish with miso and cashew sauce and quinoa.

This is what an athlete that races in 100 mile competitions fills up on?

It’s completely normal, assured Jurek, who consumes 1,000 calorie smoothies with nuts, fruits and protein powder, plenty of sweet potatoes, tofu and tempeh combos and beans and grains during training for a big race.

“None of this is weird,” Jurek said. “If you go back 300 or 400 years, meat was reserved for special occasions, and those people were working hard. Remember, almost every long-distance runner turns into a vegan while they’re racing, anyway — you can’t digest fat or protein very well.”

Visit the New York Times for more.

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Meat eaters who will forgo the hamburger on most days and opt for the pasta with “wheat” balls are on the rise.

According to a new study discussed in The Mirror, record numbers of flexitarians, or people who eat vegetarian sometimes are forming.

Sales of  products such as fake meats have doubled over the last decade in the UK, according to the Vegetarian Society.

“The real growth area is in ‘meat reducers’ – those who haven’t given up meat completely but who are making a conscious effort to eat less of it,” said Su Taylor, a spokesperson for the company.

There are different ways to incorporate a part-time vegetarian lifestyle.

Treehugger founder Graham Hill follows a weekday vegetarian plan, while author Mark Bittman recommends a “vegan until 6″ deal.

Still, others eliminate some animal products entirely, like red meat and dairy, replacing them with plant based alternatives.

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Mark Bittman is famous for his flexitarian approach to eating and in a recent column in the New York Times, Bittman shares with readers how to make sushi without the fish.

Sushi without the seafood is not only vegetarian friendly, but budget friendly and Bittman points this out in the article.

“Think about it: sushi without seafood, sushi without restaurants and sushi without spending $80 a person. It’s an appealing option,” he writes.

Vegetarians already know that nori seaweed strips make great wraps and although not every non seafood option Bittman gives is vegetarian, there is an abundance of vegetables and vegetarian protein to try like fried tofu, raw or seared tofu, avocado, mushrooms and eggplants.

Bittman says that when buying nori, look for sheets with darker colors and fewer holes.

And eat right away for a crispy sushi experience–as soon as nori touches moisture, it begins to soften.

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Mark Bittman "How To Cook Everything" iphone Application

Mark Bittman’s best selling cookbook, How To Cook Everything, is available on an iphone app from Culinate.

The author who eventually went on to write How To Cook Everything Vegetarian and Food Matters, took a vegan until 6 approach that resulted in weight loss and better health.

Like the author, the How To Cook Everything app is flexitarian friendly, and if you want to search for vegetarian recipes, simply add a filter to your search to yield only recipes without meat.

Besides featuring over 2,000 recipes, there’s also a feature to bookmark your favorite recipes and to store shopping lists.

The app is currently available for a limited time from itunes for $1.99.

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