Vegetarian and Vegan Mediterranean Menus (Part 1)

Nowadays, people are starting to open up to the idea that an optimal diet is not necessarily one that abounds in meat. On the contrary, weighing all the pros and cons and taking into account the ethical considerations (after all, from a point of view, meat indeed is murder, as some would say), we have come to the conclusion that a vegetarian diet is an experience we should at least try out.

Mediterranean Cuisine is famous all over the world as being the most tasty, nutritious and balanced. But what to do if most of the popular dishes are all about meat? Well, here is where we step in today: join us and let’s explore Vegetarian and Vegan Mediterranean Menus that can serve as great alternative to heavy meat-eating.

But first, let’s define the terms and make the distinction between vegetarian and vegan. Vegetarians are, as we know, people who decide not to consume animal meat. Some forms of vegetarianism are very strict and exclude eggs, dairy products, fish and seafood, but others include (some of) these items. Vegans on the other hand take it to the next level, prohibiting all forms of animal exploitation. Thus, they eat no sort of meat nor do they consume or utilize any animal products (not only foods, but also fur, leather, wool, etc).

While their statement is indeed noble, creating a balanced menu might be a tricky task. Of course, we should not exclude from discussion the people who diet for health reasons – meat has lots of proteins, but also many toxins, so it is not a good sustenance options for those who are very ill or who wish to take off weight, for instance.

All things considered, today we talk first about the vegetarian Mediterranean products that can replace meat. These are: olive oil (popular particularly in Greece and Italy), pasta (Italy and all over the world), fruits and vegetables (present in all Mediterranean countries: grapes, oranges, apples, peaches, apricots, pomegranates; potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, pepper, etc), cereals, seabuckthorn (particularly popular in Greece and excellent if you wish to improve your immune system), and the list is endless.

In our following meeting, we will talk about specific vegetarian dishes that you can prepare to make your culinary trip to Italy, Greece, Spain or Malta all the more enjoyable.