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National Vegetarian Week

16th May 2018

 

National Vegetarian Week 2018 runs from 14th to 20th May and focusses on raising awareness of delicious and exciting veggie food.

Everyone is welcome to take part and there are plenty of mouth-watering recipes, tips and resources available to those who want to learn more about being a vegetarian.

Vegetarian and Vegan Meals are on the Rise

Recent research published by Kantar earlier this year stated that vegetarian and vegan meals are on the rise. According to the report, a quarter of all evening meals eaten in the UK are vegetarian or vegan.

Kantar Worldpanel’s study was based on the household grocery purchasing habits of 30,000 demographically representative households in Great Britain; and reports that 29% of meals for the 12 weeks up to the end of January were free of meat and fish. The report also pointed to increased sales for Quorn and fruit and vegetables.

John Soonaye, from the Vegetarian Society says: “The results of this study reflect the trends we have seen here at the Vegetarian Society over the last year or two. Increasingly supermarkets are providing a greater range for customers choosing veggie options – last Christmas some even had a larger vegetarian than non-vegetarian range. Vegetarian food is rapidly becoming more mainstream, and it’s great to see research that echoes this. Everyone likes good food, and good vegetarian food is great for everyone!”

Benefits of being Vegetarian

There are many benefits of becoming a vegetarian. These include:

  • May Improve mood
  • May improve symptoms of psoriasis
  • May help to reduce incidence of diabetes
  • Reduces the risk of cataract development
  • Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Can lower cholesterol
  • Less risk of a stroke and obesity
  • Less chance of developing kidney stones
  • It can satisfy all your nutritional requirements
Shopping at Garden Square

At Garden Square’s Fruit & Veg Hut there is a wealth of locally sourced fruits, vegetables and meat-free foods on offer to shoppers – the perfect place to bag all that’s needed to celebrate National Vegetarian Week!

And if you’re looking for some great vegetarian recipe ideas, there are plenty of resources at The Works. With a variety of cook books focusing on vegetarian and vegan cookery, you need never be at a loss as to what to cook! Head in-store to browse and buy.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry

Alternatively, if you fancy getting in the kitchen straight away, why not opt for this simple yet delicious slow cooker vegetable curry – via BBC Good Food? Infused with flavour, this is a great mouth-watering main meal for the whole family.

Ingredients:

  •  400ml can light coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp mild curry paste
  • 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 200g butternut squash (peeled weight), cut into chunks
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
  • 1 small aubergine (about 250g), halved and thickly sliced
  • 15g coriander, chopped
  • 160g frozen peas, defrosted
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced, to taste
  • Wholemeal flatbread, to serve

Method:

Put all the ingredients except the coriander, peas and lime juice into a slow cooker pot and stir well. Cover with the lid and chill overnight.

The next day, cook on Low for 6 hrs until the vegetables are really tender, then stir in the coriander and peas. The heat of the curry should be enough to warm them through. Taste and add a good squeeze of lime juice if you fancy extra zing.

Serve with a wholemeal flatbread.

We hope you enjoy National Vegetarian Week and the feast of flavours it can bring to you and your family!