What Exactly Is Meat-Lite Eating?

有影响力的人可能会深入他们的纯素食（一月份的素食主义者），使您重新考虑食肉饮食。

Whether it’s vegetarian or vegan, the plant-based diet is more than just atrend. Whilevegetarianism要么veganismmay be a worthy goal, it’s not right for everyone. If giving up meat and/or dairy completely is too extreme for your lifestyle or food preferences, consider becoming a “meat-lite” eater.

Essentially, that means shifting your diet to a more plant-based way of eating — also considered flexitarian or semi-vegetarian. Whatever you call it, it’s a boon to your health. “Any displacement of meat from the diet by plant foods would likely result in lower saturated fat intake andhigher fiber intake,” saysKristine Duncan, MS, RDN, of Veg Girl RD in Bellingham, Washington. “These kinds of changes are recommended by the American Heart Association to fight cardiovascular disease risk,” she says.

Of course, plant-based doesn’t mean you’re only eatingbeans和tofu, tempeh and seitan(though, those are delicious and it certainly could mean you do). It’s just that the meat-lite moniker tends to be less intimidating. It may mean serving a较小的鸡肉在您的盘子上，有一天晚上制作扁豆炸玉米饼，在面食中使用一半的香肠或旨在吃更多的素食午餐。“突然消除或极端的饮食改变在身体和精神上具有挑战性。即使从一天开始一餐也是朝着正确方向迈出的一步。”Green Chef. Here are some brilliant ideas to get started:

In many ways, the morning meal is the easiest way to start meat-lite eating.Smoothies,oatmeal，希腊酸奶冻糕和whole-grain pancakesare all nutritious ways to start your day. “Breakfast might be an easier meal to overhaul than dinner at first,” says Duncan.

如果您通常在上班途中拿起早餐三明治，则修复程序很简单：只需取出肉，加上盖特。“鸡蛋和奶酪已经包含adequate protein- 10–15克 - 在营养上，培根/香肠提供了不必要的钠和饱和脂肪，”她说。

您可能已经注意到杂货店已经变大了多少肉。没有理由将6或8盎司的鸡胸肉放在盘子上，因为它是这样的。相反，将其切成两半，然后与朋友或家人分开。邓肯说：“如果您只吃了3盎司，应该绝对应该用其他东西在盘子上填充那个空位。”也许那是整个谷物；她说，更好的是，将您的蔬菜食用加倍。例如，如果您要烤青豆，请将芦笋扔在锅锅上，并享用一份大量份量，她补充说。

Rather than a plate that’s distinctly protein-starch-vegetable, cook mixed dishes, says Duncan. “You’ll miss the meat if it’s typically the centerpiece, but you’ll hardly notice if instead you make a hearty chili with less ground meat and more beans and bell peppers,” she says. Another idea, suggests Duncan: Tacos can be filled with a mixture of half ground meat and half soy crumbles or half meat and half beans. One plus to halving the meat in a recipe, “it would be cheaper — you’d only need to buy a half-pound of ground turkey instead of a whole pound,” she says.

盖特斯说：“将肉切成小块可以欺骗我们的思想，以为我们已经消耗了更多。”她建议在绿叶绿色或谷物的沙拉上加各种蔬菜，水果和坚果。然后，将鸡肉切成小块，然后将所有东西扔在一起。培根也很棒。结果：每一口都有肉，但并不多。

“Meat-lite” takes your entire day into account, not just each meal. So, if you’re planning meat mains for dinner during the week, try vegetarian lunches. Make a batch of lentil or minestrone soup andpack the leftovers邓肯说，在午餐的容器中。她说，碗中有煮熟的全谷物（糙米，藜麦，法罗），蔬菜，鹰嘴豆和酱汁（花生，花生）是其他可包装的选择。Geerts建议制作冷沙拉，例如tabbouleh(a mix of bulgur, mint, onion, tomato and parsley topped with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper) for a combination of satiating and satisfying protein, fat and fiber.

Unless your usual order is “meat lovers,” a pizza can be a great toe-dip into meat-lite eating. It’s easily made veggie-centric by choosing one meat topping and a variety of veggies (as many as you want!), says Duncan. Let your taste dictate here, but mushroom, eggplant and artichokes are typically heartier options if you’re missing meat.