Adam
I'm making a real effort to eat less meat and it's going way better than past attempts because I've stopped thinking of plant-based proteins as a meat replacement. Lotsa lentils and beans. Tempeh instead of meat in stirfry (which, I guess, is a "meat replacement").
For lunch today, I had a big ass salad with a bit of marinated/fried tofu (made this morning and then reheated at work). It was fantastic. And, because I've actually learned ow to prepare tofu, I wasn't wishing I'd used chicken.
Adam
Similarly, while meat tends to be the star of a meal, when I cook meatless meals, the focus isn't on the "meat alternative." With lentils or beans, yeah, they're the main focus of the meal. But with, say, tofu, it's more of a garnish/compliment to the vegetables. I'm not just serving up a giant slab of tofu, in place of a steak.
That was my problem in the past: I didn't adjust my thinking. I was still making "meat and potatoes" meals, but with something else standing in for the meat.
Adam
It probably helps that I'm a lot more comfortable cooking "ethnic" foods that are more likely to incorporate things like tofu on their own merits, rather than as a sad attempt at replacing meat with an alternative protein. Also, we're generally too focused on protein in western diets. Most people get way more than is actually necessary to remain healthy, even with a vegetarian diet. Probably even with a vegan diet.
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