5 Tips To Reduce Your Meat Consumption

There is a fundamental aspect that we must pay attention to. When you reduce your meat consumption, you need to eat more other foods to supplement your nutritional intake.

In recent years in particular, more and more attempts have been made to reduce the consumption of meat. And this is for reasons of health, taste or to fight against the mistreatment of animals. However, these people are wondering how to cut down on meat in a healthy way.

Cutting back on meat will lower your risk for high blood pressure,  high cholesterol, uric acid problems, or hypertriglyceridemia.

However, for people who are not used to it,  suddenly taking this step can be too drastic a change. This is why we recommend a series of tips to start eating less meat and facilitate the adoption of this eating habit.

Tips for reducing meat consumption

1. Meat is not essential for health

There is a widespread myth that meat is essential for maintaining good body health. However, this is not true. Indeed,  we have a wide variety of foods that provide us with the necessary nutrients to meet nutritional needs.

In this sense,  start by decreasing the weekly frequency with which you consume meat  and also reduce the portions. Also, remember that meat includes not only red meats and poultry, but also:

• Chorizo
• Sausages
• Delicatessen
• Pasta

2. Vegetables and legumes, our great allies

A fundamental aspect to take into account is that  when you reduce your meat consumption, you need to ingest more other foods in  order to supplement the nutritional intake.

Obviously, these are the vegetables that will give you the iron and protein you need. Therefore, it is essential to increase the consumption of lentils, as they are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamin B, minerals and iron.

However,  there are also other whole foods like beans and legumes,  soybeans, or grains like rice, oats, or wheat.

3. Weekly shopping

A particularly simple trick that you can take to cut down on meat consumption  may be to stop buying it. If you don’t have meat at home, you won’t eat it.

During weekly shopping, try to buy more vegetables, fruits and legumes. You will be amazed at the variety of plant foods on offer on the market  and the wide choice of recipes available.

4. Gradual reduction in meat consumption

As we have already mentioned, it is important to reduce the amount of meat gradually. The objective will thus be achieved more efficiently. So you can start with:

• Eliminate meat products from breakfast
• Eat vegetables several times a week instead of cold meats or other animal products. Salads, omelets, or a legume mix can be great alternatives.
• Discover new meatless recipes: in fact, when you realize all the possibilities that exist, your motivation to eat less meat will be greater

If you want to reduce your meat consumption for health reasons,  the best tip is to opt for low-fat meats. Like for example, turkey, ham or lean meats such as chicken.

On the other hand, if you want to reduce meat in order to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet ,  then you will have to completely eliminate the consumption of any food that contains meat. That said, it is always easier to do it little by little in order to get the body used to this type of diet.

5. Fish instead of meat

If you are one of those people who wants to stop eating so much meat for health reasons and not to adopt a vegetarian diet, a good tip for doing  this is to add more fish to your diet. This will replace the meat.

In addition, blue fish  are an excellent source of omega-3 acids and beneficial fatty oils. It is therefore an ideal option to prepare as a substitute for meat. In addition, other fish, such as grouper, sea bream or hake  are low in fat and very healthy  for the body.

Reduce your meat consumption: conclusion

If you want to change your eating habits and reduce meat consumption,  remember that any change in diet takes time to adjust. Nonetheless, when you achieve it, you will notice the results and feel much better about yourself.