CUTTING BACK ON MEAT

ButterflyGirl2002
ButterflyGirl2002 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am interested in cutting back on meat. Anyone know what I can substitute for meat?

Replies

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    rule 1: Never cut back on meat.
  • adamgradzki
    adamgradzki Posts: 1 Member
    edited January 2016
    I agree -- do not cut back on meat

    Only ever cut back on carbs
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    meat substitutes can be caloric and filled with all sorts of yucky ingredients, some of the soy is even processed with petroleum. soups, chili, stir fry, salads etc all really great meals that dont need meat. try looking for meatless mondays for ideas and ignore people who can't understand why you might want to do this.
  • amazetome
    amazetome Posts: 637 Member
    Beans, portobello mushrooms, tofu, tempeh, seitan, fake meats, extra veggies & grains
  • blearyspecs
    blearyspecs Posts: 21 Member
    Beware the Paleo brigade...

    If you're not including fish in your definition of meat, then that should be a key source of protein for you. Fish freezes well and can be really convenient.

    Pulses (lentils, peas, beans, etc...) are a also good thing to anchor your meals on when you're not including meat.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Beans, broccoli, greek yogurt, string cheese, protein shakes, and quest bars are some of my favorite non-meat sources of protein.

    I'm also a big fan of the meat substitute products. I make "chicken" burritos using the Boca chicken patties and they are amazing. Some people don't like those products because they're afraid of soy but I see no issue with it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A lot of the meat substitutes are really tasty and have a pretty good protein/calorie ratio.

    Meat is also a source of nutrients like iron and B vitamins so if you are going to cut back make sure you have those in check as well.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    The question to ask yourself is: why?

    You may have a perfectly good answer for this. However, please know that eating meat isn't bad for a healthy person to eat and doesn't cause weight gain.
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    Unknown
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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    any food...that isn't meat.
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    There's so many great websites dedicated to assisting people cutting out meat. Google will lead the way! Good for you, you won't look back.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    I eat meat. But I also love beans and lentils. So many options out there. I'm in a red lentil phase right now. Packed with fiber and protein. And delicious.
  • trickness
    trickness Posts: 4 Member
    I make my own seitan from vital wheat gluten. It's packed with protein and super cheap. I get like a weeks worth of high protein seitan for my lunches & snacks for less than four dollars. Google it and look for a few diff ways to make it. I usu. eat it with beans and rice.
    There are some decent vegan protein powders out there but they get pricey. I use pea protein & rice protein, both mixed with a cheap chocolate protein shake mix for flavor. The mix isn't vegan, but neither am I, I just like to eat a variety of (cheap) sources while cutting down on animal products.
    Tempeh is pretty good. I've read that it's the only good way to actually eat soy since it's fermented, thereby doing something I don't understand to whatever is detrimental in soy. Idk if true. Good luck.
  • claraoswold
    claraoswold Posts: 89 Member
    Be careful, because you need protein.

    I'm not going to say DON'T cut back on meat, I don't know your body. Maybe it will do OK with less meat. Mine can't. But let's assume that yours can. I would recommend nuts, eggs if you are fine with those, milk, cheese, anything to make up the protein that you are losing.

    Or do you want to decrease the amount of protein you are taking in? What is your goal? How do you want your carb/fat/protein ratio to look like?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    What is your goal, as in why are you choosing to cut back on meat? The reason makes a difference.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Meat is a protein so you need to add in other sources of protein such as beans/legumes, eggs, and peanut butter.

    I'm also curious why you want to cut back on meat. There is nothing inherently wrong with eating meat unless for religious or ethical reasons.
  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
    There is nothing wrong with meat but, if you want to cut back then replace with other higher protein items.

    Eggs, beans, nuts, nut butters are good for starters. I don't eat meat so I use meat substitutes like Quorn (sadly I can't get it in Canada so I only have it when I can get down to the US), Yves, Tofurkey, etc. If you want to stay away from substitutes, there are a lot of options out there.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Quinoa is a complete protein. Try eating only white meat or fish as a way cutting back or eggs. Try limiting to one meal a day. There is plenty of protein in veggies just google high protein veggies! Lentils, beans. Soy products if you can eat them. I like quorn. Also spirulina is another good source. Ezekiel bread high in protein. Or manna.

    Try in baby steps tho before a full on commitment.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited January 2016
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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    8bnwhb2zuzkr.png

    @angelexperiment This is a nutrition label from quinoa. Don't see much protein in that. A lot of carbs though.

    The claim is that the protein it does have is complete (that is, has all nine amino acids), not that it was low carbohydrate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    ButterflyGirl2002 wrote: »
    I am interested in cutting back on meat. Anyone know what I can substitute for meat?

    substitute in what way? are you looking for other protein sources or just what to eat instead of meat.

    if you're looking for meal ideas without meat, just google vegetarian meals and you'll find a bunch.

    as far as protein goes, most vegetarian options are going to be carb heavy (grains, legumes, lentils, etc) which isn't a bad thing, but something you should be aware of and don't have nearly the amount of protein that can be found in a few ounces of meat, poultry, or fish. tofu and eggs/egg whites are good sources as well.

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