Are You Eating too Much Meat?

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While meat can be a great source of protein, there are lots of drawbacks to a meat-heavy diet. This post explains exactly how much meat you should be eating, the benefits of reducing your intake and how you can cut down. 

How much meat should you be eating?

You should try not to eat more than 3 ounces of meat per meal. Red meats and processed meats should ideally be limited to no more than 2 meals per week. 

Why should you not eat more than this? Eating too much meat could lead to you consuming unhealthy levels of protein and fat. Health risks involved with eating too much meat include weight gain, heart disease, kidney damage, intestinal problems and an increased risk of cancer. Red meats and processed meats should be limited more so than poultry and fish due to their higher levels of protein and fat. 

Other benefits of eating less meat

Reducing your meat intake could reduce the risk of developing various health problems. However, there are other benefits too.

Meat can be very expensive. In fact, it can make up a large chunk of many people’s weekly grocery bill. Cutting down on meat could allow you to save some money while food shopping.

Consuming less meat can also have environmental benefits. Farming livestock contributes to the release of greenhouse gases in various ways from cutting down forests to the release of methane from cows. If we all ate less meat, we could reduce the demand on the meat industry and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

How to motivate yourself to eat less meat

Motivating oneself to eat less meat can be difficult. If you eat meat every day, you’ll likely have developed a craving for it that could be hard to shift. Below are just a few ways to encourage yourself to eat less meat.

Try vegan alternatives to meat

There are a few vegan meat alternatives on the market which have a similar flavor and texture to meat. These could be worth incorporating into meals as a way of satisfying the meat craving.

Brands like Quorn and Beyond Meat specialize in producing authentic plant-based meats. When you’re craving a burger or a steak, why not try one of these plant-based meats instead of the real thing? It’s likely to be healthier and cheaper.

Tofu is another common meat substitute made from dried soybeans. While tofu doesn’t aim to taste like meat, it can have a very similar texture. You can find simple baked tofu recipes online. You can save a lot of money by switching to tofu instead of meat.

Other meat alternatives exist out there that are worth trying. Everything from tempeh to black beans can be used to imitate the texture of meat, allowing you to make your own meat-free dishes without feeling that something is missing. You can find lots of vegetarian recipes online. 

Set designated meat-free days

To encourage you to eat less meat, try scheduling meat-free days. You could try setting one meat-free day per week or even several meat-free days per week. You could even only plan to eat meat on weekends. 

Having meat-free days is commonly known as ‘flexitarianism’. It can be an effective way of cutting down on meat without having to completely give up meat. Of course, if you’re up for the challenge, you can use this as a stepping stone to a vegan or vegetarian diet. 

Start treating meat as a side dish

Instead of eliminating meat, you could consider simply reducing your portions. Meat tends to be seen as the main attraction of a dish, but it doesn’t have to be. You could find ways of turning meat into a side, while bulking up on non-meat proteins. This could include opting for a largely vegetarian Full English breakfast with a single strip of bacon to give it a tiny portion of meat. 

Similarly reconsider your portions of meat in dishes like pasta, casseroles, chillies, curries and rice dishes. Use more beans and mushrooms to bulk out these meals while only throwing in a small amount of meat. 

Try out meat-free apps

There are various apps that may be able to help when cutting down on meat. Some can help you to set meal diaries and can help you to stack on track with targets. Others can help you to identify meat-free restaurants or stores that sell vegans alternative to meat. This post lists a few different apps that could be worth trying.