It’s grilling time! The next time you have a cookout, make sure there’s something for everyone on the grill – meat lovers and vegetarians alike. Here are just a few delicious ideas for going meatless with your next summertime menu.

• Make black bean burgers in minutes! Grab a can of black beans, some tofu and tomato paste. Add to a food processor and mix, and then add breadcrumbs until your mixture reaches a consistency where it holds its shape. Form into patties and rub with burger seasoning before you grill. You can even add smoked paprika or liquid smoke for more tasty flavors!

• Nothing can top a great portobello mushroom burger. Portobello mushrooms are great for grilling because of their size – you can just put them right on the grill! Smaller mushrooms like cremini, oyster or baby bella mushrooms can be grilled in foil packets.
• Top your veggie burgers with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados and yellow mustard to complete the look.
• You can also add some savory goodness to vegetarian dishes with steak sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce or tamari.
• How about some cold sides? Try making cold grain salads with quinoa or couscous, grape tomatoes, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, cracked black pepper and a little olive oil.
• A big bowl of crisp, fresh salad is perfect out on the patio. Combine spinach, romaine lettuce or field greens, seedless raisins, soy nuts, sunflower seeds or pepitas, and mango slices. Drizzle with oil and vinegar (try pairing olive oil and red wine vinegar) for a great combination of flavors!
• And of course, we can’t forget the potato salad. Use russet potatoes, mayonnaise (egg-free mayonnaise is good too), yellow mustard, diced celery hearts and chives.

Many vegetarian alternatives for snacks and meals offer comparable nutrition to meat, poultry or fish options. In veggie dishes, you’ll find a wide array of amino acids for building proteins, iron for circulatory health, calcium for bone health and B-vitamins for energy.