If you normally eat meat most days of the week, then you could
- Eat a vegetarian diet on Fridays in Lent (as well established in the Catholic tradition. The Roman Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales called for their congregations to abstain from meat on all Fridays from September 2011) .
- Choose any day of the week to go vegetarian. There is a movement called “Meatfree Mondays” that encourages people to have one meat free day a week (it doesn’t have to be Monday!) – see www.meatfreemondays.co.uk
If you or eat meat only occasionally anyway, or you are already a vegetarain then you could try one of the following
- Try a new vegetarian recipe once a week and try to use seasonal ingredients wherever possible.
- Try to have one vegan day a week (no dairy products or eggs)
- Invite friends round for a vegetarian meal to help others realize that vegetarian food can be enjoyable and exciting.
Other Ideas
- Send in your favourite vegetarian/vegan recipe – we can put them up on our website for sharing.
- Have a vegetarian church meal together on Sunday – see the website for some easy to prepare ideas. Have a substantial meal and encourage people not to eat meat when they get home!
- Have a vegetarian “Come Dine With Me” event with your friends
- More difficult to organize (because it would need a kitchen with several cookers) – a vegetarian “Masterchef” or “Ready Steady Cook” evening
- Donate any extra money you would usually spend on meat to a Christian Development agency.
- Grow some of your own food during Lent - mustard and cress will be easiest! But it will be the right time of year to plant other vegetable/herb/salad seeds to grow in pots or in a garden to be ready later on in the year
