If there’s one type of recipe that we can always have more of, it’s healthy, tasty dishes that we can prepare with a minimum of fuss, to fit in with our often busy modern lifestyles.

Well, we’re going to open this one up to you. What are your favorite quick vegetarian meals, that you fall back on after a busy day at work?

1. Baked Potatoes
These take a while to cook, but are easy in that they can be left in the oven whilst you take care of other jobs, watch the news, or prepare the other ingredients. Cooking times can be decreased by first boiling potatoes or putting them in a microwave.

Add whatever you have in the fridge or larder — we suggest beans (with chilli spices!), sour cream, and chopped chives, pineapple, tomato and cucumber. What a treat!

2. Soups and Curries

Ok, so not the quickest meals to prepare, but the great thing about curries and soups is that they freeze (and more importantly, defrost) well. I make a big pot of both on the weekend, and freeze in one-meal sandwich bags. Easier than calling for pizza! You can find great soup and curry recipes in our recipes section.

3. Homemade Pizzas

Nothing says enjoyable eating quite as easily as homemade pizzas — and with everyone keen to design their own, they practically cook themselves. You can use all sorts of breads as your base, even raised, thick breads make a tasty alternative.

Your suggestions?

There are more reasons to go vegetarian than you can shake a strawberry at. More importantly - which of these reasons are the most important to you and your friends?

1. Vegetarians Live longer

Vegetarians live longer, due to the lower incidence of diseases like various forms of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It is believed that meat produces faster growth, which also leads to greater signs of aging and malfunctions such as cancer formations. A study by William Castelli, M.D., found that turning vegetarian can add 3-6 years to life. Another English study found that cancer is decreased by an amazing average of 40%.

2. It’s Cheaper

Fruit, vegetables, beans, berries and other examples of nature’s goodness are not only better for you — they are also cheaper.

3. It’s Better for the Environment

The amount of CO2 (not to mention environmental degredation) formed to produce. It has been said that simply switching to a vegetarian diet is the cheapest and easiest step we can do to help reverse climate change. Also, shifting to a vegetarian diet would free up enough food to feed 10 billion people.

4. You Don’t Need to Eat Meat

There is no real reason you need to eat meat. All of the necessary vitamins and minerals in meat can be found with little effort in a vegetarian diet - all you need is the right information. In fact, meat is so marginal to our actual survival needs that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, reclassifying the food groups, only came up with four - vegetables, legumes (including peas and beans), fruits, and whole grains. Dairy and meat were relegated, along with fats and sugars, to be “optional” - i.e. not required for good health. And there is no truth to the rumor that you need meat to have energy. Often the reverse is true — eating meat can make you lethargic, whilst a highly nutritious, vegetarian diet can give you a spring to your step.

5. Vegetarian Meals Can Be Quick and Easy

It is often said (by meat eaters) that one of the resons they cook with meat is that it is quick — add some vegetables to a piece of meat and you’re done. In fact, vegetarian meals can be a whole lot quicker and easier than meat dishes — that all nearly involve cooking.

The real reason people think vegetarian dishes take time is that they are unfamiliar with them. Look though our recipes section for some great tasting — and quick — meals to add to your repitoire.

6. It’s Good Karma

Many people think we were born to eat meat, so therefore there’s nothing wrong with it. And while it’s true our early ancestors ate meat (and gave us our canine teeth), they also lived in trees and conducted tribal warfare. Our situation today (along with our wisdom, farming knowledge and supply of a variety of foods) is different than it was then, as is our responsibilities.

What if the more than one billion of the world’s population (Buddhist and Hindu) who believe in karma are right, and what you do to others in this life will happen to you? We can expect to be chopped up for others to eat a total of 7,000 times, just from this one lifetime! (This figure uses an “animals saved” calculator, which estimates the average 75 year old has eaten over 6,900 animals in their lifetime, or about 90 per year).

7. Vegetarian Meals Are Tasty (and Naughty)

Many people avoid vegetarianism because of memories of the vegetables they left at the side of their plate when young. Vegetables are synonymous with the “good” food you “have” to have — not because you want to.

If this is you, consider the following foods — all vegetarian, and hardly things you have to force yourself to eat!

French fries, vodka, chocolate, strawberries, icecream, cakes, champagne, tempura, nachos, wine, cashews and nuts, beer and banana splits can all be eaten without killing animals. You are already part vegetarian and don’t know it!

8. Do It For The Animals

Even if you don’t believe in karma, eating animals is almost impossibly cruel if you give it any real thought. We don’t need to go into the details of contemporary farm practices for you, if you are one of the few people who are unaware how cruel it routinely is, there are 101 reasons to go vego here. And if you can’t go completely vegetarian, at least buy free range meat and animal products.

9. You Don’t Need to Go Without Bacon

Surprisingly, this is one of the most often given reasons for people to stop — or never start — becoming vegetarian. “I was a vegetarian, but then I missed bacon.” Crazy, but it’s true!

Becoming vegetarian needn’t be a vow you make, with dire consequences if you “fail”. You can get plenty of health and other benefits simpy by doubling the amount of meals you eat that use non-meat ingredients. And if you decide to become completely vegetarian, and have a piece of bacon once and a while, then you are still 99.9% vegetarian (and 100 times healthier than you were before).

Here’s a tip for all you bacon lovers — it is actually the crispy texture, and salt, that we most love about bacon. Why not try some crispy tempura or fries for your decadent, end of the week snack?

What about you? What are some reasons you did — or do not — become vegetarian?

Well, the truth is that we should all know what nutrients we are missing out on, and the regular meat eater is probably unaware of what they should — and shouldn’t — be eating for maximum health and energy. It is far easier for a vegetarian to fill out a perfectly balanced diet than the average non-vegetarian.

So, with that in mind, here’s the top things you should get a handle on to be a healthy, happy vegetarian:

Variety

With all diets, a variety is the key. If you eat a range of fruits, vegetables and pulses, you are probably doing just fine. If you are stuck in a rut, why not check out some of our great vegetarian recipes for some new ideas?

Vitamin B12

This is the big one many people pull out to dissuade others from turning “Vego”. However, this is usually only a vitamin vegans will have to consider, as vegetarians will probably get enough B12 in milk and dairy products if they eat and drink a regular amount. B12 isn’t produced in fruits or vegetables, so keep up your morning porridge, milk smoothies, cream on your apple pie, and cheese platters for plenty of this energy giving vitamin. Vegans will need to be extra careful about calcium (osteoporosis isn’t cool), so consider having a blood test from your doctor, and buying calcium fortified soy products, if you decide to go down the full vegan route.

Iron

The “other” mineral often mentioned in the same breath as vegetarianism, vegetarians can easily get as much iron as they need from these sources: whole grain cereals, eggs, and leafy green vegetables. Also, as Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, get plenty of Vitamin C in the form of fruits, juices and berries to make less iron go further.

A Final Note on Supplements

The scientific findings on supplements are mixed, or downright disparaging. Recent studies in Scandanavia found out many common supplements in pill form (such as antioxidants) had no beneficial effect on health, and could actually lead to an increased risk of some kinds of cancers. In general remember the rule - fresh is best - although some will gain a sense of security in a daily multivitamin to top up on what may be lacking from any diet.

To make, get two potatoes of a reasonable size, and grate them into a dish. Take two tablespoons of butter along with one tablespoon of herbs (parseley for example, dill also works well). Melt the butter, and add both to the grated potatoes and mix well.

Add spoonfuls to a heated, oiled pan and flatten to make into the potato cake shape. When they are crisp and a deep brown color, serve or allow to cool for later.

Are you a potato cake fan? What sides and accompaniments do you like with them?