VegFest is Here, and Here’s What You Need to Know

VegFest is an October promotion in honor of National Vegetarian Month. During the whole month of October, guests are introduced to healthy, plant-based, and environmentally friendly foods that are mouthwatering and full of protein and flavor during lunch and dinner. In order to celebrate the variety of possibilities of plant-based main plates, Metz is offering 50 different and delicious dishes throughout the month so more people that normally prefer a non-plant-based protein can open their eyes to the taste of new flavors, take the vegetarian route in their meal, and enjoy it just as much as their regular choice.

A word from the Chef:
Joan Bardossi, our Executive Chef, had a few comments about VegFest and the importance of vegetarian food. She narrowed it down to three main points: taste, environment, and health. Joan was a vegetarian when she was in college, and unlike the same few and bland options she had to work with during her meals, vegetarian and plant-based meals have come a long way with both flavor and variety. Now, students have many options for different tastes, and the dishes are well seasoned, cooked with care, and visually appealing. Here are some of the dishes Joan added to the menu this month: Brown-rice risotto with squash and pesto, vegan spinach enchiladas, vegetarian cabbage rolls, Buffalo cauliflower, vegan squash chili, and curried eggplant, just to name a few of the amazing options.

She added that vegetarian eating also helps the environment due to the amount of water saved when keeping and caring for fewer cattle and other farm animals. Also, with smaller pasture space needed for fewer animals, there is less stress on the land and local vegetation, leading to a healthier ecosystem. Lastly, Joan mentioned that eating a diet rich in plant-based foods has been proven to decrease the risk of many chronic diseases. Both vegetarian and vegan diets experienced a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, cardiometabolic risk factors, some cancers, and total mortality. However, those who were vegan enjoyed those benefits and a reduced risk of obesity, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular mortality.

Learn more:
You can also pop by our VegFest informational table located under the entrance TV sign and grab one (or all four) of our health-related flyers to start new and healthy habits. From left to right on the table, the first flyer helps you with tips for preparing food at home since it can be a great way to save money, express creativity and stay on track with healthy eating. Get a basic meal planning exchange list on the second flyer pile that can help control blood sugar levels by spacing foods such as bread, cereal, potato, pasta, fruit, starchy vegetables, and milk evenly throughout the day. The third flyer available is an eating plan for a healthy heart, in which you can look at different food groups and examples of foods to make your own personalized meal and plan a delicious and nutritious menu. Lastly, on our fourth flyer, we have 20 Health Tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest food and nutrition professionals organization, to improve your quality of life, in which they emphasize exploring new foods, such as introducing a new vegetable to your diet.
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Come by Garlock during October and explore VegFest. I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised with what vegetables and combinations you will end up enjoying once you give them a try!