How To Include More Plant-Based Meals In Your Family's Diet

Are you stuck for family dinner ideas, especially with the busyness of school returning and endless extracurriculars?

From Meat Free Mondays to eating fresher on Fridays – there are multiple ways you can get your family on board a plant-based lifestyle that incorporates more nutritious and delicious plant-based foods.

Supporting a growing trend in Australia currently, plant-based options offer a variety of health benefits, are far less impactful on the environment, including being kinder to animals. They also provide a stronger focus on taste and quality.

Tammy Fry, the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Director of The LIVEKINDLY Collective, and member of the Fry family, who 30 years ago co-founded plant-based food company, the Fry Family Food Co. is encouraging Aussies to consider kinder food options.

Big Meat Lovers

There’s already been a massive shift in Australia when it comes to consuming less meat, however when the average Australian is said to eat more than 100kg annually (which includes beef, veal, lamb, mutton, poultry and pork), there are still big changes families can make.

But when it comes to incorporating more plant-based foods into your family’s lifestyle, the options are endless.

Here are three of Tammy’s favourite plant-based recipes:

Throw a plant-based burger on the barbie!

A mid-week or weekend barbecue is an easy way to cook, while getting your family together, especially while the weather is warm. A plant-based burger is a crowd pleaser, as it can go with all sorts of toppings and salads.

Spaghetti and non-meat balls

Spaghetti is a family classic! This delicious meal is filled with tasty herbs and spices and is sure to be a favourite.

Homemade nachos with golden crumbed schnitzel

Enjoy a Mexican-inspired dish with homemade nachos, topped with plant-based schnitzels heart-protective guacamole and cholesterol-lowering black beans! It’s perfect to share with friends and family!

What plant-based foods do your family eat? Tell us in the comments below.

14 Comments

- - mom486197 said
  - 30 Nov 2024
    7:18 pm
I have over the past year been introducing meat free meals as the price of meat has gone up so much and is very costly. I quite often will make a vegetarian pasta for dinner or buy plant based chicken or similar to have with a salad and it tastes so good.

- - ChiWren said
  - 08 Dec 2023
    2:57 pm
Cauliflower soup is one of my fave meat free dinners. So lush and cosy.

- - RonnieDe said
  - 12 Mar 2021
    5:52 pm
I have the odd meat free meal, but that’s it for me.

- - mom462929 said
  - 17 Feb 2021
    10:07 pm
I am vegetarian. I think this is the best time to be meat free as there are so many meat alternative readily available now. Supermarkets have really improved their range.
- Ellen replied
  
  18 Feb 2021 , 8:50 am
  That’s so true, plenty of alternatives are available !
- - ashna9 said
  - 17 Feb 2021
    7:28 pm
My husband makes the best potato tacos!

- - mom112217 said
  - 17 Feb 2021
    12:01 pm
Home made nachos with schnitzel sounds interesting and a bit different to the usual.

- - Ellen said
  - 17 Feb 2021
    5:42 am
We have plant based foods every day. I eat vegetarian since I was 11 years old, I’m 57 years old now 🙂

- - mom265671 said
  - 16 Feb 2021
    10:58 pm
I’m not a huge meat eater so I’m hoping my partner changes his ways

- - Frankiielot said
  - 16 Feb 2021
    10:04 pm
My hubby and I tried being vegetarian for a few years. Unfortunately I ended up with low iron and anaemia.
We did use to buy fake meat from brands such as Fry’s, Quorn and Stella McCartney.

- - Zmijka86 said
  - 16 Feb 2021
    8:26 pm
I think my husband will taste the difference.

- - mom160421 said
  - 16 Feb 2021
    8:10 pm
The majority of our meals are meat free.
- Ellen replied
  
  17 Feb 2021 , 8:46 am
  Good on you, very good 🙂
- - snazzy007 said
  - 16 Feb 2021
    7:54 pm
I have made the change but I grew up pretty much in a vegetarian household so it was not very difficult