How to Cut Meat Out of Your Diet

It is hard to say goodbye to meat when you have been eating it for so long. But with its bad effects on your overall health (and that of Mother Nature), it's time to go for healthier alternatives.

But how, you ask? Well, it's all about starting slow - and exploring new options and unique recipes. Read more to learn about these helpful tips below.

Slowly but Surely

While meat is not potent as an illicit drug, removing this from your diet abruptly can make you become a 'cold turkey'. If you don't want to suffer withdrawal symptoms that will make you want to binge on meat more, then it's best to go slowly but surely.

That means removing red meats from your diet initially since you don't eat them as frequently as white meats. Do this for a couple of weeks before removing light meats such as chicken and turkey from your diet.

As you get more used to the absence of meat, you can finally eliminate seafood (if you want to go full-vegan). As time goes by, you'll see that you can manage without meat.

Think About Your Health

Steaks and pork chops are oh-so-good that you might find it hard to cut them out for good. But if you truly care about your health, you should start doing it now.

As mentioned, frequent meat consumption has an adverse effect on heart health. Apart from that, it can increase your risk for stroke and diabetes as well.

To make matters worse, meat-eaters live shorter too. According to experts, vegans live 15 years more than meat lovers. Vegetarians, on the other hand, outlive the latter by 7 more years.

So every time you find yourself succumbing to the juicy aroma of your favorite burger, just think of how lovely it is to live 7 (or 15) years more.

There are Many Other Options

Do you find it hard to say no to meat because you find vegetarian options tasteless and boring? Well, it's not the case anymore. Apart from the usual tofu, there are other yummier options such the meatless meat from Simulate.

With these scrumptious and healthy food sources, you won't have a hard time quitting meat. Want a burger? You can make one with veggie ground meat. How about sausage? There's one made with like tofu and other veggie stuffings!

Indeed, there are so many options out there. Now, you don't have an excuse when meat alternatives taste just as good (if not better)!

It's a Time to Explore

If you have been cooking for so long, then you probably know how tiresome it is to prepare a different meal every day. But, if you're up to the challenge, then you can treat this as an opportunity to remove meat from your diet.

Think of all the great and healthy times you can have with this. Now, every trip to the grocery is sure to be more exciting. That's because you are no longer confined to your usual meat choices.

By focusing on meatless products, you can create new, tasty recipes you and your family will enjoy.

It's About Saving Mother Nature

Cutting meat is not just about yourself - it's about Mother Nature as well. After all, the meat industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.

According to experts, the beef industry produces 4x the amount of emissions. In essence, the meat industry leaves a bigger carbon footprint than plant-based proteins such as beans or soy. So if you want to help the environment, you can do so simply by cutting your meat intake.

Not eating meat can be challenging, but you can do it. As long as you start slow - and think about your health (and that of Mother Nature), you can make the switch for good.