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Meatless Monday: Family-Friendly Vegetarian Recipes

Meatless Monday: Family-Friendly Vegetarian Recipes

Jenna Helwig and Erica Clark

August 06, 2015

Whether it's Monday, or any other day of the week, eating more plant-based meals can be healthy and delicious. Worried that the carnivores in your family will balk? They won't miss the meat a bit once you serve up one of these hearty, kid-friendly recipes.

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Quinoa Tacos

Everyone loves Taco Night! Protein-packed quinoa stands in for the beef in this family-friendly recipe. Put out bowls of assorted fillings and let the kids build their own.

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Everyone loves Taco Night! Protein-packed quinoa stands in for the beef in this family-friendly recipe. Put out bowls of assorted fillings and let the kids build their own.

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Chickpea and Squash Curry

Store-bought curry paste adds just a gentle heat to this super-quick, flavorful meal.

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Store-bought curry paste adds just a gentle heat to this super-quick, flavorful meal.

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Tofu Tender Supper

What You'll Need: Extra firm tofu, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, nonstick cooking spray, sweet potatoes, olive oil, fresh rosemary, coleslaw mix, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar (optional)

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What You'll Need: Extra firm tofu, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, nonstick cooking spray, sweet potatoes, olive oil, fresh rosemary, coleslaw mix, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar (optional)

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Spaghetti With Lentil Bolognese

French green lentils (aka lentilles du Puy) hold their shape better than standard green lentils, giving this Bolognese a texture similar to that of a traditional meat sauce.

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French green lentils (aka lentilles du Puy) hold their shape better than standard green lentils, giving this Bolognese a texture similar to that of a traditional meat sauce.

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Creole-Style Artichoke Jambalaya

Frozen artichoke hearts add heft to this veggie-packed rice dish, while beans add protein. Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list; half of it is spices you likely already have in your cabinet.

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Frozen artichoke hearts add heft to this veggie-packed rice dish, while beans add protein. Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list; half of it is spices you likely already have in your cabinet.

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Black Bean and Herb Burgers

Vegetarian burgers don't have to be boring. These black bean burgers are filled with flavor, easy to cook, and budget-friendly to boot.

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Vegetarian burgers don't have to be boring. These black bean burgers are filled with flavor, easy to cook, and budget-friendly to boot.

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Baked Ziti Soup

A healthy twist on baked ziti, this hearty tomato basil soup comes together in your slow cooker. It has noodles mixed right in, and we've even topped it off with a bit of gooey cheese. Round out the meal with a green salad and garlic bread for dunking.

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A healthy twist on baked ziti, this hearty tomato basil soup comes together in your slow cooker. It has noodles mixed right in, and we've even topped it off with a bit of gooey cheese. Round out the meal with a green salad and garlic bread for dunking.

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Pizza with Zucchini and Smoked Mozzarella

Sautéed zucchini and smoked mozzarella stand in for pepperoni in this crowd-pleasing entr?e. Raw garlic in the uncooked, ready-in-10-minutes tomato sauce adds punch. If you don't want to wait the hour for the dough to become easier to work with, use a store-bought ready-to-heat flatbread crust and follow the package instructions. For heat-lovers, drizzle the finished pie with chile oil. From the cookbook Meatless All Day by Dina Cheney.

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Sautéed zucchini and smoked mozzarella stand in for pepperoni in this crowd-pleasing entr?e. Raw garlic in the uncooked, ready-in-10-minutes tomato sauce adds punch. If you don't want to wait the hour for the dough to become easier to work with, use a store-bought ready-to-heat flatbread crust and follow the package instructions. For heat-lovers, drizzle the finished pie with chile oil. From the cookbook Meatless All Day by Dina Cheney.

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Pepper and Potato Tacos

Fixing more plant-based meals can be healthier, and it's also a smart way to trim a grocery budget. Serve these tacos deconstructed and let your family members build their own. With so much flavor no one will miss the meat.

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Fixing more plant-based meals can be healthier, and it's also a smart way to trim a grocery budget. Serve these tacos deconstructed and let your family members build their own. With so much flavor no one will miss the meat.

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Nutty Tofu

Tofu is a busy mom's best friend. It's a good source of protein, easy to cook, and very budget-friendly. In this recipe the tofu gets tons of flavor from a quick soy sauce marinade and a delicious drizzle of peanut sauce.

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Tofu is a busy mom's best friend. It's a good source of protein, easy to cook, and very budget-friendly. In this recipe the tofu gets tons of flavor from a quick soy sauce marinade and a delicious drizzle of peanut sauce.

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Better-for-You Baked Mac

This fontina-cheese mac contains about 70 calories and 13 grams of fat fewer than typical baked mac 'n' cheese versions.

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This fontina-cheese mac contains about 70 calories and 13 grams of fat fewer than typical baked mac 'n' cheese versions.

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Lemony Lentil Soup

Thanks to the lentils, just one portion of this vegetarian soup packs as much energy-boosting protein as a beef burger. And since it's made in the slow cooker you can plug it in and go.

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Thanks to the lentils, just one portion of this vegetarian soup packs as much energy-boosting protein as a beef burger. And since it's made in the slow cooker you can plug it in and go.

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Vegetarian Fried Rice

When you first prepare this recipe, use a few of your child's favorite vegetables; then slip in a new variety each time you make it.

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When you first prepare this recipe, use a few of your child's favorite vegetables; then slip in a new variety each time you make it.

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Southwestern Quinoa Burgers

Cooking these vegetarian quinoa burgers in a skillet gives the edges a yummy, unexpected crunch. Kids will really go for the melty cheese and ultra-mild spice.

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Cooking these vegetarian quinoa burgers in a skillet gives the edges a yummy, unexpected crunch. Kids will really go for the melty cheese and ultra-mild spice.

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Polenta with Mushrooms

Using a combination of different mushrooms gives this vegetarian dish layers of flavor. The mushrooms are equally delicious on top of risotto or pasta.

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Using a combination of different mushrooms gives this vegetarian dish layers of flavor. The mushrooms are equally delicious on top of risotto or pasta.

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