Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Michael Pollan's manifesto for optimal personal health in his book In Defense of Food prescribes a strategy for a healthier planet as well.

Never fear: Summer Jo's will continue to serve delicious preparations of meat, poultry, and eggs that are grass-fed, hormone-, antibiotic-, and disease-free. We monitor the fish we purchase to ensure we are choosing wild and sustainable seafoods.

But one cannot eat out every night. And if you, like me, are babystepping your way to reducing your own personal carbon footprint, perhaps you are cutting down your meat consumption and preparing and/or eating more vegetarian meals. 

One book that I found helpful was written in the 1970s: Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé. In it she outlined a way to obtain sufficient daily protein by combining complementary plant proteins.

Animal sources of protein (such as meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, and fish) are complete proteins because they contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids. Plant proteins, which come from foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products are incomplete because they have some of the amino acids but not all. For example, beans are low in the amino acid lysine, while rice is rich in lysine. When the amino acids from two or more plant proteins make up a complete protein with sufficient levels of all the essential amino acids, these food pairings are called complementary proteins. 

Nutrition science has evolved since the 1970s, and combining complementary plant proteins in a single meal is now deemed unneccessary because the body hangs onto the amino acids you ingest for 7 days or so.

So if you're a vegetarian eating a varied diet, the new studies said, you didn't have to worry about combining complementary proteins. 

However, when you're watching both your family's calorie intake and nutrition needs, I find it very comforting to know that we're getting complete protein in every meal. So I personally find Frances Moore Lappe's information useful. Here's a list of complementary proteins, in case you find it useful, too.

Grains (cereal, pasta, rice, wheat, barley, corn) plus Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, soybeans)

Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) plus Legumes

Additionally, you can obtain meat-equivalent protein by combining

Whole Grains Plus Dairy Products
Legumes Plus Dairy Products

Here are some ideas for easy-to-prepare, complete-protein meals:

Pasta with Pesto (pestos can be made with any type of nut and many varieties of herbs if basil is not in season)
Cheese Fondue with Rustic Sourdough Bread
Cheese Pizzas
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Beans and Tortillas (Tostadas, Tacos, Enchiladas)
Chile and Cornbread
Hummus and Pita Bread
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Granola and Yogurt
Tofu and Rice
Chickpeas and Rice
Macaroni and Cheese
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Oatmeal (or Cream of Wheat) Topped with Milk
Parmesan Rice
Sesame-Rice Fritters
Curried Lentil Soup Topped with Yogurt
Falafal with Yogurt
Sauteéd Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sesame Sauce

Vegetarian meals not only can be delicious, they're gentler on the wallet.

—Nancy