If you want to stop eating meat for health reasons or as a personal lifestyle choice, learn how to cut meat out of your diet by planning to succeed over a prolonged period of time. Although you can stop eating meat cold turkey, you're likely to return to eating meat as soon as someone offers you your favorite meat-filled dish. However, if you gradually taper down your meat consumption, you are more likely to remain true to your goal and persist as a non-meat eater for the rest of your life.
Step 1
Eat one meatless main dish per day to begin to cut meat out of your diet. Cook or order meatless main dishes such as eggplant Parmesan, herb-filled frittatas, bean soup, and vegetable salads and sandwiches for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This method mentally conditions your brain to stop seeing meat dishes as the only available meal options.
Step 2
Replace land meat with fish three to five times per week. Substituting fish for meat several times per week is an easy way to cut down on your meat consumption, and incorporate healthier protein into your diet. If you aim to only eat plant foods, only use fish in the place of meat one to two times per week during the transition. Choose fish, such as Alaskan halibut, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon, that are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids to bake, broil or grill, and eat with fresh or steamed vegetables.
Step 3
Stop eating one type of meat at a time to easily cut meat out of your diet. Begin with your least favorite meat and work your way up to your most favorite meat. Choose a pace that feels comfortable to you, such as eating one type of meat every week, or every two weeks, until you have eliminated all meat from your diet.
Step 4
Use meat as one of many ingredients in a casserole, stew, soup, vegetable, rice or pasta dish. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 lb. of meat and 1 lb. of a starch or vegetable, cut the meat part of the recipe down by 3/4 and raise the other dominant ingredient by about 1/2. This method will get you used to seeing meat as a minor part of a main dish, and mentally prepare you to leave meat out of your recipes altogether.
Step 5
Eat meat only in restaurants. Eliminating meat from your personal space takes meat off of all of your at-home menu options. Therefore, you will eat less meat simply because you don't have any in the refrigerator, freezer or pantry.
Member Comments