Resolve to feel, eat better in the new year

Each year at this time we start thinking about resolutions. For many, eating right and taking better care of themselves is a reoccurring, and quickly forgotten, declaration. This year, the Meatless Monday Campaign and Gardenburger offer a simple suggestion for health-seeking consumers: skip meat on Mondays.

"Eating healthier and feeling better is an ideal way to jumpstart your New Year," says Ian Lev, national project director for the Meatless Monday Campaign. "Skipping meat just once a week will help reduce saturated fat, encourage healthier meal planning, and put you on the road to improved health."

Developed as a national public health campaign and driven by the knowledge that the more meat consumption the greater the chance for heart disease, Meatless Monday is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping reduce our consumption of saturated fat.

Not so long ago, a meat-free Monday may have ranked among other difficult-to-attain resolutions. But now, companies like Gardenburger offer nearly twenty different soy and grain-based products from "chicken" to "ribs," making it easy to find plenty of delicious meat-free food choices. What's more, Gardenburger products are 100% natural, contain no cholesterol, very few carbohydrates and loads of protein.

To get started, here is an inspired recipe courtesy of Gardenburger for a Meatless Marsala Cutlet dish:

Meatless Marsala Cutlet

2 Gardenburger Herb Crusted Cutlets
1/2 cup Marsala Wine
2 ounces Sliced Mushrooms
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Garlic Chopped
1 teaspoon Shallots Chopped
2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saute pan on medium-high. Add Gardenburger Herb Crusted Cutlets and cook until warm throughout. Remove Cutlets from the pan and add garlic and shallots. Add mushrooms, and saute until slightly brown. Then add mustard and Marsala wine. Add remaining olive oil and let
sauce reduce by half; drizzle over Cutlets and serve (makes 2 servings).