Hello, fellow meat-eaters. I hope you’re having a fantastic morning/afternoon/evening (or whenever you happen to be reading, really). I’m sure I don’t need to tell you again, but vegetarian and plant-based diets are undeniably becoming more popular by the day. Because of this, you might have felt the pressure to join in, or pondered whether you should jump on board. After all, there’s a tonne of discourse around meat-eating that’s circulated the world in the last few years, and to be frank, not all of it has been particularly great press.
Whether it’s your friends making the switch, the influx of ‘green bowls’ dominating brunch menus or the abundance of info surrounding the environmental impacts of meat agriculture, we’re living in an era of huge transition for global diets.
Still don’t feel it? Cool, it’s 100% a personal choice.
Now in saying all of these above, I’m absolutely not one of those nutter Joe Rogan-types who will eat Elk meat for breakfast and hunts bears to make sausages. But, I will say this – I do think it is pretty wild to think that people are eating three completely meat-focused meals a day, 7 days a week. It’s crazy because going meat-free one day (or even for one meal a day, if you’re feeling good) is ultra-easy.
Protein alts like mushrooms, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, beans and more are the foundations of so many delicious and diverse meals I can’t even begin to describe – that are also hella cheap, accessible and easy to make. Since vegan and vego diets are so normal these days, meat-replacements (like Quorn mince, sausages and roasts) have never tasted better or been better for you. Conveniently, it’s also Meat-Free March, which is a great time to try out a few veg recipes or delicious meat-free products you’ve had your eye on. Find a buddy to try it out with for support, and you might find it’s the ease in to the lifestyle you need.
On top of this, meal-prep services will also cater their weekly menus to involve vegetarian meals (if you’re either time-poor for the kitchen or are lacking in the cooking skills department). Heck, even fast-food chains offer a tonne of meat-free options too, if you’re fanging a quick feed.
If you’re still not convinced, here’s a reminder that there are a vast number of health and environmental benefits to doing a weekly meat-free day – here’s a little rundown of what they are:
- It’ll help diversify your diet and probably push you to try new foods and recipes, which is always a win.
- Even one meat-free meal is a small step towards environmental betterment and lessening your carbon footprint. Take Quorn’s delish new range of roasts, tenders, sausages and meatballs for example – they’re made up of mycoprotein (a super protein from sustainable fungi) and each serve requires significantly less water to produce than a meat product. Huge.
- You can up your nutrients and soak in more vitamins and minerals by packing your meals with more veggies, or other proteins like eggs or legumes.
- It’ll be one day (or meal) away from the sodium and nasties that are sometimes found in products like sausages, bacon and other processed meats.
There are plenty more, but I reckon I can leave them up for you to suss, if you feel so inclined. The reality is, Australia as a whole is one of the world’s biggest meat-eating countries and we are going to start feeling the impacts of our environmental ignorance pretty dang soon. Swap the doner kebab for a falafel wrap, a chicken burrito for a packed veggie fajita, or sub in tofu to your next stir-fry. Like most things in life, it’s the little things that count and make up for the most significant long-term changes and, it’s all about being mindful of your decisions.
