ENJOY MEAT-FREE MEALS WITH WW’S NEW VEGGIE & VEGAN COOKBOOK

June 2019: WW, the new Weight Watchers, is launching a new addition to its Healthy Kitchen cookbook range, Veggie & Vegan. 

Cooking meat-free dishes and using plant-based ingredients doesn’t need to be restrictive or complex. Packed with delicious ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner, WW’s new Veggie & Vegan cookbook offers 50 exciting, and satisfying, recipes that are simple to make.  Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or just want to eat the occasional meal without meat, these dishes are perfect for you.. 

With the WW programme, nothing’s off the menu, meaning you can still enjoy your favourite foods whilst losing weight. WW’s proven and simple SmartPoints® system, based on ranking foods against their calories, saturated fat, sugar and protein content, are included alongside every recipe to make it easier to enjoy healthy food. The good news is the majority of fruit and vegetables are ZeroPoint™ foods, which means that many Veggie & Vegan recipes are naturally low in SmartPoints and can easily be included as part of your plan. 

Here are some of WW’s quick tricks for making the most out of Veggie & Vegan dishes: 

Perfect match 

Experiment with different flavour combinations by pairing ingredients that naturally work well together. A good rule of thumb is to balance spicy, salty, bitter, sweet and sour flavours, so that no one flavour is too dominant. 

Try ‘Meat Free Mondays’ 

If you’re looking to cut back on your meat intake but don’t know how to make the change, try committing to one night per week eating meat-free, such as Meat Free Mondays. 

Spice things up

Dried spices and fresh herbs are a quick way to add a lot of flavour for no extra SmartPoints. Black peppercorns, smoked paprika and curry powder are all good staples to have to hand. As a rule, it’s best to add fresh herbs at the end so they don’t lose their flavour or colour.

Dial up the flavour

Strong flavours like ginger, wasabi or sesame oil pack plenty of taste into a dish and you won’t need much to make an impact. Sun-dried tomatoes and olives are also good options, especially within pasta dishes. 

In with the new

Try something new – don’t get stuck in a rut trying to find substitutes for meat. Instead, celebrate vegetables! Build your meals around an interesting vegetable or adapt your favourite recipes to use veg instead of meat. 

Best bites

Texture is just as important as flavour when it comes to creating delicious veggie dishes. Mushrooms, aubergines and jackfruit all have a meaty texture that help keep things interesting. 

In a pickle

Use a quick pickling techniques to transform raw vegetables – it doesn’t take long, but is a great way to add crunch and lots of fresh zingy flavour to salads and sandwiches. Carrots, cucumbers, radishes and onions are all great for pickling. 

Crunch time

Toss toasted nuts and seeds into salads, use breadcrumbs to coat tofu or meat alternatives or roast veg and pulses to add lots of extra crunch to meals. 

Get ready to roast

Roasting, griddling or barbecuing vegetables enhances its natural taste, caramelises the natural sugars and often adds a delicious smoky flavour. 

The heat is on

Before you use nuts, seeds or whole spices in your recipes, try toasting them in a dry frying pan – it’ll enhance the dish’s flavour and only takes an extra minute or two. Take care that they don’t burn – as soon as they become fragrant, they’re ready. 

Season to taste

Vegetables benefit from plenty of seasoning. Use salt and freshly ground black pepper, or finish off with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to really make the flavours zing. Remember to taste the food before serving and adjust the seasoning if you need to. 

Priced at £8.95, Veggie & Vegan is available exclusively in WW Workshops across the UK and online at www.weightwatchersshop.co.uk.