Back to Meatless Monday

Sorry for the brief hiatus everyone!  We're back in action this week with our weekly Meatless Monday post.  For those of you who don't know what Meatless Monday is, let's give you a brief overview.  Meatless Monday is the idea that you can and should cut out meat once a week for multiple health and environmental purposes.  There's even an organization called Meatless Monday-http://www.meatlessmonday.com-who's in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

By cutting out meat from your family's diet once a week, you can decrease your risk of certain health issues likes diabetes, obesity, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.  You also help the planet by reducing man made greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption that are used by the meat industry to feed and manufacture meat.

So with the facts straight, let's dive into some delicious dishes that will have your family asking for seconds!

For breakfast, or a snack on the go, try these delicious Fig Bars from Betty Crocker-and what the kids don't know won't hurt them (they contain nuts and fruit!)

Or go to your grocery store's bakery and ask for some pizza dough so you can try this gourmet Heirloom Pizza from Martha Stewart.  Turn it into a family activity by letting the kids add their own toppings or try a  pizza bake-off with the group!

For a hearty meal, go for this easy 20 minute (or less) recipe that will leave everyone satisfied-Mushroom Zucchini Cream Spaghetti from Cook Republic.

And for those who need a little something sweet after dinner, why not have this Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake from BHG.com.  Dense and delectable-a great way to finish off a Monday.

Let us know how you like our Meatless Monday picks, and please share if you have a Meatless Monday recipe of your own-it could get featured on our blog!