The American diet is changing—for the better—as more and moreAmericans are opting to govegetarian at least a few times aweek. Meatless Mondays, a nonprofitinitiative launched in associationwith Johns Hopkins School ofPublic Health in 2003 to reducemeat consumption to improvepersonal health and the health ofthe planet, has attracted a growingfan base. It has garnered thesupport of dozens of universitiesand restaurants, entire cities (SanFrancisco, CA, and Ghent, Belgium), and celebrities,including Mario Batali, Al Gore, and Gwyneth Paltrow.<br /><br /><em>EatingWell Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals</em> reportson the latest science, which shows that eliminating meat—even a few times a week—can have a host of healthbenefits, including improved blood pressure, decreasedrisk of heart disease, lowered cholesterol, and betterweight control. Just replacing meat with starchy refinedcarbs, cream, and cheese may be “eating vegetarian”—but it's not eating healthfully. <em>EatingWell</em> shows you howto plan a well-balanced vegetarian diet full of whole grains,fruits and vegetables, and lean sources of protein like tofu,beans, and eggs. Plus you'll find out why eating less meatis lighter on the environment and your budget.<br /><br /> This cookbook solves the problem of how to makea healthy vegetarian meal everyone in the family—fromsteak-lovers to dieters—will love. For nearly 20 years,every issue of <em>EatingWell Magazin</em>e, whose motto is“Where Good Taste Meets Good Health,” has featuredhealthy, satisfying, meatless meals, such as Zesty WheatBerry–Black Bean Chili, Mediterranean Baked Penne,and Tomato-Corn Pie. The best of those recipes cannow be found in one place: <em>EatingWell Fast & FlavorfulMeatless Meals</em>.<br /><br />This cookbook dishes up 150 recipes for soups andstews, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and pizza. ere are specialtarts, gratins, and other impressive dishes for entertaining—and plenty of delicious appetizers, wonderful side dishes,and divine desserts to round out all your menus. And likeall the recipes from award-winning <em>EatingWell Magazine</em>,the healthy recipes in this book really work. Most can beprepared in less than 45 minutes and use simple, easy-to-find ingredients. And they have all been tested multipletimes by the expert cooks in the <em>EatingWell</em> Test Kitchen.With recipes like these, you'll never miss the meat.