Cutting down on meat. Need help

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Replies

  • saltyboyy
    saltyboyy Posts: 3 Member
    edited September 2019
    There’s soooooo much options if you still eat eggs dairy and seafood. I’m pescatarian and I have no problem figuring out what to eat. Almost every restaurant has fish or seafood option, especially a Mediterranean themed place.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,889 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    Also the Moosewood cookbooks by Mollie Katzen are great.

    Yes, I have the original Moosewood, that my mom gave my grandfather in 1980. I make the "Best Ever Pea Soup" and apple crisp recipes yearly and the Spanikopita less often. Lots of other good recipes in there.

    My library system has 12 different Moosewoods available.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    I had chickpea wrap with hummus, salad rubbish and some spicy sauce.
    Made it last night for lunch this morning so it went all sloppy wet cardboard texture. Was pretty bad but ate it anyway
  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
    The biggest difference in lowering meat for dinner and lunch is redefining what dinner "looks" like. If you always imagine dinner as a main protein with a veggie and a starch it might be hard to do, but a mixture of food like hearty salads soups and casseroles are much easier to imagine. A big salad with nuts and cheese and quinoa and beans is plenty of calories and protein. A hearty baked pasta dish, like a lasagne with a vegetable heavy sauce is great. Stirfry with tofu and vegetables. Quiche and fritatas are an easy place to start. Omelettes for dinner for example. tacos and burritos are easy as well.
  • Pipsqueak1965
    Pipsqueak1965 Posts: 397 Member
    Most recipe websites have loads of vegetarian meal ideas - I use BBC good food a fair bit.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    I lowered meat intake unintentionally but very broadly. Do I want a 3 oz hamburger patty or a 6 oz Ahi Tuna filet. Hmmm. Let me see . . . . .
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
    garyggriffin wrote: »
    So people I'm trying to cut down on meat and eat more plant stuff.... breakfast and snacks are easy but what the hell do you have for lunch and dinner.
    I normally would have chicken or some type of cow, but seen some video on facebook and yeah put me off...
    Trying to do it in small steps rather than going cold Turkey.
    I'm trying to gain weight so just eating lettuce and carrots ain't gonna do me any flavours..
    My snacks would involve nuts, peanut butters, bananas, apples, homemade protein bars etc etc. Just lunches and dinners I need advice with...

    Yogurt is a typical staple for me at lunch...
  • pinaycoco
    pinaycoco Posts: 59 Member
    I feel like life has not enough evenings for all the vegan dinners I want to cook and eat. I can recommend a few cook books. Power Plates is my all time favourite followed by Vegan Food 52. Then Love and Lemons, The Fresh Vegan Kitchen, Vegan in 7, The First Mess and Veg Every Day River Cottage. And some that have a mix of recipes but are easily adapted to be vegan like Ceviche and Andina as well as Green Kitchen Stories and Green Kitchen Travels. There are also lots of free food blogs online, including on Instagram. Good luck!
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    I am plant based, but really haven't eaten any animal products for a few months.

    Many of my meals include about 1 cup of a cooked grain (millet, quinoa, rice), a lot of different veggies, beans and a sauce. I usually keep some of these cooked in the fridge for an easy meal.

    There's a ton of great YouTube channels that show what vegans eat in a day - I get a lot of meal ideas this way. Try Rachel Ama and Sweet Potato Soul for some great recipes.
  • kcmcbee
    kcmcbee Posts: 177 Member
    Really good extra virgin olive oil. EVOO can add to almost anything and can have a lot of other benefits as well. Calorie dense and good for you.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    edited September 2019
    I'm heading towards my 5th year not eating any meat. I do eat eggs and very little dairy.

    I still eat a lot of the same things, just without meat. Tacos, burritos, flautas etc. are made with rice, beans and veggies.

    Pasta is made with no meat (manicotti, spaghetti, fettuccine alfredo, lasagna etc.)

    Same with stir fry, I use fresh or frozen veggies and lots of seasonings.

    I love breakfast foods, so I make veggie omelettes, oatmeal and blueberry Belgian waffles with unflavored protein powder mixed in.

    Homemade soups is a great option.

    I use substitutions cooked the exact same way I did when I ate meat...BBQ or Ranch Cauliflower Bites instead of using chicken or "crab cakes" made with shredded zucchini.

    Also I make a lot of things from scratch like homemade protein bars, fat bombs (which satisfy a sweet tooth as well), almond milk sometimes, bread etc.

    Lastly, I tend to shy away from the "fake" meats - I'd rather make my own black bean veggie burger or a portabello burger, but there are a lot of options available these days in regular grocery stores.

    My menu is so diverse and tasty, but it did take me a while to perfect my recipes. I'm always trying new things too. There are so many good recipe sites out there where you can get ideas and inspiration from!

    Good luck!
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    Do you guys find u spend more money than meat eaters or do u spend less cos you dont buy the meat
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,889 Member
    garyggriffin wrote: »
    Do you guys find u spend more money than meat eaters or do u spend less cos you dont buy the meat

    You have to add a few more variables in there. I'd argue that a meat eater who buys inexpensive cuts of meat and cooks everything from scratch is going to spend less than someone who lives on vegan convenience foods.

    That said, when I was in rural Costa Rico, locally available plant-based foods were widely available, widely consumed, and cheap, while meat was much more expensive.

    Being plant-based can be quite budget-friendly if someone includes foods like rice and beans bought in bulk as staples rather than premade meals or so called "superfoods."
  • ThatJuJitsuWoman
    ThatJuJitsuWoman Posts: 155 Member
    My husband eats meat and it’s definitely the most expensive part of our food budget.

    I would guess that if I ate an identical diet to him, and replaced every meat or dairy item with a vegan substitute it would cost about the same. In reality we eat very differently and I often eat beans, nuts, lentils and chickpeas which are pretty cheap.
  • Clairin
    Clairin Posts: 95 Member
    https://www.pinterest.es/micapricho/vegetarian-grilling-vegetarian-bbq-healthy-outdoor/ Here is a great Pinterest page for Burgers, Grilling, Salads & sides all vegetarian.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    kcmcbee wrote: »
    Really good extra virgin olive oil. EVOO can add to almost anything and can have a lot of other benefits as well. Calorie dense and good for you.

    Olive oil or any oil is fat. Meat is protein and some fat. You can replace calories from meat with fat but you cannot replace protein from meat with fat.
  • pjwrt
    pjwrt Posts: 166 Member
    edited September 2019
    garyggriffin wrote: »
    So people I'm trying to cut down on meat and eat more plant stuff.... breakfast and snacks are easy but what the hell do you have for lunch and dinner.
    I normally would have chicken or some type of cow, but seen some video on facebook and yeah put me off...
    Trying to do it in small steps rather than going cold Turkey.
    I'm trying to gain weight so just eating lettuce and carrots ain't gonna do me any flavours..
    My snacks would involve nuts, peanut butters, bananas, apples, homemade protein bars etc etc. Just lunches and dinners I need advice with...
    lol...I eat fish and the occasional hot link a few times a month. Otherwise, it's all "veggies." Dude, my veggie meals would beat any meat meal any day of the week. Search out vegetarian meals on the internet. Using left overs for lunch is great.

    If you want to get specific, search out nationalities like "American vegetarian recipes" or Mexican. I made veggie stuffed green peppers a few days ago and the effort was two days of meals for less than $10.00 and and 20 minutes prep time. Sweet.

    Mexican is cheap and easy. The same few easily obtainable ingredients and spices.

    You don't have to be 100% vegan, just 99% will get it.

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    don't forget about tofu and seitan. it can be a good replacement.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    If you like beans those are an excellent choice! Mushrooms also!

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