Mom, Chef and Lifestyle Expert Roberta Pipito’s Take on Meatless Mondays

For many omnivores, the prospect of going vegetarian is overwhelming. When you’re used to cooking with animal products, the idea of 21 meals a week without meat can indeed seem daunting. But what if you started smaller, committing to a veggie diet just one day each week? That’s the idea behind Meatless Monday.

Meatless Monday at the Center for Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore is an initiative to reduce meat consumption by 15% for personal health and the well-being of the planet. Since its inception in 2003, the program has introduced the concept of meat-free Mondays into many homes.

To better understand how to make Meatless Monday an achievable health goal, we turned to lifestyle expert, chef and mom of two, Roberta Pipito of Bucks County. If you have young children, Roberta’s website, Homemade Delish, is a great resource for food sourcing and developing creative ways to get the kiddos involved with the process of cooking healthier food options.

I’d been following Homemade Delish on social media without knowing Roberta’s actual given name. One day, while watching The Dr. Oz Show, there she was alongside the venerable host.

I had an “aha” moment when I realized that Homemade Delish was actually Roberta Pipito! Roberta is also a regular guest on Fox 29’s Good Day, where she reports on and demonstrates food trends.

Roberta’s warm manner and breadth of food and lifestyle knowledge are impressive. This busy mom is always on the go, but I wanted to get her spin on implementing Meatless Monday with her family. They’re a healthy-eating family, but not plant-based. I think Roberta’s insights just might provide the necessary tools to bring a meat-free day into anyone’s home once a week.

Here are a few thoughts from Roberta:

PA Eats: How important is it to teach children about food origins?

Roberta: I think it’s super important that kids know where food is coming from. This will make them appreciate the people who work hard to give us quality foods, and not to waste.  

How can parents create a weekly menu where the children can be involved with meal planning, shopping and cooking?

Well, now that summer is upon us, I love to take my kids food shopping with me or to the farmers’ market. I have them pick out what they would like to eat for the week. This way I’m giving them their independence on making choices, and it makes them excited to have a say.

What’s your favorite go-to meatless dish?

Vegetarian burgers like quinoa or black beans are a favorite, but we also love veggie tacos, too.

What does your summer garden look like? Favorite vegetable?

It’s always abundant. Last year we had nearly 2,000 tomatoes. This year we have San Marzano tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, peppers and poblano peppers. Herbs like basil, purple basil, mint, thyme and oregano are also always ready to harvest.

Best way to get the kiddos to eat their veggies?

I grew up having to try everything. My dad is a professional chef/baker, so not only did I have to try it once, but I had to try it twice. He would always say, ‘your palate will play tricks on you, so you have to try it again.’

I think letting your children pick out their veggies is a great idea. If your child is interested, never say, ‘I don’t think you will like that.’ Also, roasting veggies helps bring out the sweetness in certain veggies and this is appealing to children.  

With my kids, I always let them try the seasonings and any vegetables I use as I’m preparing something. I’ve done it since they were old enough to eat solid foods, and I think that is why they are huge fans of veggies now, and trying new foods, too.

These are great practical tips from Roberta, but perhaps her best tip comes in the form of developing bonding experiences for your family. Roberta is a big proponent of family dinner time. She said, “Eating together at the table creates an important time to bond with the kids, and your family.”

Get your kids involved with the process of shopping and prepping and invite them to be a big part of Meatless Monday.

And, like Roberta’s dad once told her, “try new things twice!”

Roberta’s Recommendations for Plant-Based Cookbooks

Headed to a bookstore to learn about plant-based, vegan eating? Let Roberta lend a hand!

  • Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small That Redefine Vegetable Cooking, Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, The Experiment 2015
  • Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed, Bryant Terry, Penguin Random House, 2014 (check out our interview)
  • This Crazy Vegan Life: A Prescription for and Endangered Species, Christina Pirello, Penguin Random House, 2008

Take note that Christina Pirello and Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby are all local to Philadelphia and have helped to create the region’s plant-based footprint through restaurants, cookbooks, television shows and more.

Have you tried Meatless Monday? How has the experience been for you and your family? Let us know in the comments!

  • Roberta's head shot: Katie Toussaint
  • Basil and salad photos: Pexles

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