How to Eat Less Meat
I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly 15 years, but I don’t try to convince people to stop eating meat. While I do think that a plant based diet comes with a lot of health benefits, simply cutting back on your meat intake is a step in the right direction.
If you eat a lot of meat, it can feel overwhelming to give it up completely, but making small changes to your diet can turn into healthy habits. You don’t have to completely change your lifestyle to start enjoy meatless meals.
Add in other umami foods
Umami is the savory flavor typically found in meat dishes. It’s one of the five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami! While it might be traditionally found in meat, ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes, and soy sauces are high in glutamates, which is where that flavor comes from. Try adding some mushrooms to your pasta sauce or use tomato paste in your vegetable soup to get more umami flavor.
Try different cuisines
I’m from a traditional Midwestern family. We didn’t eat things like Indian food, Thai food, or sushi. Think outside the “meat and potatoes” dishes because many other cuisines have a heavier focus on vegetarian foods. Order black bean tacos when you’re at a Mexican restaurant. Try channa masala (spiced chickpeas) when you’re ordering Indian. Think outside of your normal routine to give yourself more meatless options.
Do a little research
It can take a bit of planning to change your habits, but once you know what’s on the menu, it’s easier to envision a vegetarian diet. I have a bunch of weekly vegetarian meal plans that can get you started! It’s a great way to get some ideas and plan a meatless menu at home. If you’re dining out, take a look at the menu before you go and don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions!
Explore new ingredients
Grains are a great way to bulk up a vegetarian meal but don’t limit yourself to just pasta. Try a farro soup or baked quinoa. Beans are an easy staple but don’t forget about other legumes like lentils or split peas. Peanut butter and almond butter are great bases for stir-fry sauces and salad dressings. They’re all healthy sources of plant-based protein, which can help you feel full and satisfied. If you’re looking for more ways to add protein to your diet, check out this list of my favorite plant-based proteins.
Use meat as a flavor rather than as the main dish
A little bacon could add a lot of flavor to a dish, and it can also help the carnivores in your life get over the idea of a meal with less meat. Cutting back gradually can help meat eaters feel like they’re not missing out on anything, but if you take meat out of the spotlight, you’ll naturally eat a little less meat.
Those are just a few ways to cut back on meat. Of course, if you need some meatless recipe ideas, I have plenty of those! Little changes can add up to big health benefits!
How do you incorporate meatless meals into your routine?
P.S. If you’re curious about the benefits of a plant-based diet, I recently finished reading Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, which was a great read! It looks at nutrition from a holistic perspective and the findings were pretty eye opening.
This post was originally published in August 2015. Updated June 2021.
I like the idea of using meat as a flavor instead of as the main dish- really great for cutting costs too!
Have you read Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian? It’s a great resource for interesting vegetarian recipes.
http://goo.gl/yO8NCf
While I’m not longer vegetarian – I definitely try to purchase higher quality meats that come from sustainable sources. I consumed a ton of meat while on the Whole30 but have cut back a bit since it ended. I just started eating beans (instead of chicken) on my salad again – forgot how much I missed them!
great post! I love using mushrooms in place of meat!
These are great tips, Liz! I feel the same way about meat. I think it’s more important to focus on the source rather than cut it out entirely. But I also don’t crave it, except for fish. For some reason, I can’t cut that one out entirely.
I’m not vegetarian, but I usually try to incorporate at least one meatless meal a day. Love your tips!
I try to make 2 out of my 3 meals a day meatless if possible. I’ve never had a hard time passing on meat. I was a vegetarian for about two years for this reason. As an adult, it’s easier to not be a vegetarian since I never was one for ethical reasons. However, I just don’t crave meat very much like most people do.
I’m not a meat-lover at all and wish my husband felt the same. You’re so lucky!
I like the idea of using meat as flavour rather than taking over the whole dish. We were both brought up in meat and two veg families and it’s hard to get out of that routine if that’s what you’ve been used to.
I love this post! I have been trying to incorporate more plant based meals into our diet and it’s funny how now I actually crave these meals. These are great tips for someone like me. Thanks!
Since I fell in love with vegetables, it is hard to get excited about meat. Now that I am married I eat a lot more meat, but Terry has been really cool about trying dishes sans-meat. I love what you said about trying different cuisines. Cooking an all American plate is hard if you want it to be vegetarian!