Back in university I used to be a vegetarian. I am no longer, but still love legumes and many vegetarian cuisines. And now that I’m cooking for my kids, part of my mission to provide healthy meals is to provide a weekly meatless one.

Once a week we eat a vegetarian entree for dinner. The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health suggests just one day a week without meat can reduce your consumption of saturated fat by 15% and reduce your chances of heart disease.

The other night, as we were tucking into a tasty Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew over brown rice,  I explained to my two older boys (4.5 and 2.5) the reasons why we were eating a vegetarian supper:

• it helps reduce our carbon footprint. Less of the planet’s resources and energy is used to grow plants than to raise animals
• vegetarians have lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and some cancers.
• going meatless saves money. It’s a frugal, yet tasty and healthy way to curb your grocery bill, which is especially helpful right now during a recession

When my boys were babies and toddlers I would often just open a can of black beans or chick peas, rinse and serve as their protein that meal. It was quick and convenient, not to mention healthy, and helped vary their diet. Something must have stuck as now I’m fortunate that my kids love peas, beans, chickpeas etc.

I must admit, I’m not a tofu lover, so vegetarian night at our place tends to involve beans and legumes. Here is a great recipe we tried last week; easy, flavourful, cheap and nutritious. Plus, otherwise my sons won’t go near Swiss Chard (my husband is not a fan either), but they didn’t even notice it in this recipe!  It is quite thick, so you can serve it as is, over rice, or thin it out with more broth to eat as a soup.

 Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 onion, sliced

-5 tsp. curry powder

-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used 1/8)

-42 oz. vegetable broth

-1 bunch chard, chopped

-2 1/4 cups red lentils

-1 can chick peas, rinsed

-yogurt or sour cream for garnish

In a large soup pot saute the onion in oil over medium high heat for 10-15 min or until golden. Stir in curry powder and cayenne.

Add the broth and chard and increase heat to high. Bring to boil

Reduce heat to medium and stir in lentils and chick peas. Cover pan and simmer for 10 min or until lentils are tender.

Divide soup into bowls  and top with garnish if desired.