Less Meat, Better Health

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6 ways to reduce your meat intake

Go for flavor. Your palate distinguishes sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors. In the 1980s, researchers isolated another taste sensation: umami, the earthy, meaty flavor found in beef, soy sauce, miso, fish sauce, mushrooms, anchovies, and game. If you’ve designated tonight a meatless night, yet it’s red meat you crave, satisfy your taste by boosting the umami flavor instead: Try spooning marinated mushrooms over a salad, topping chicken with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, marinating chicken breasts in soy sauce, or adding fish sauce to a stir-fry.

Substitute soy. Eat soy because it’s a low-fat, protein-rich alternative to meat, not just because it’s a heart-protective food. “When eaten in place of a protein that is high in saturated fat, there is some heart benefit from soy because you’re avoiding extra saturated fat,” La Puma says. Try tossing tofu and vegetables with spicy peanut sauce.

Treat meat as a condiment. A stir-fry is the classic way to treat beef as a flavorful add-on rather than a meal’s centerpiece. The secret to making less meat feel and taste like more is to cook it with mushrooms and soy sauce; the savory umami flavor extends the sensation of meatiness. Noodles, rice, and vegetables pick up that meaty flavor, so every bite delivers umami pleasure without additional fat. Another fool-your-palate approach is to make meat the topping of a salad.

Watch portion sizes. The recommended serving size for cooked meat is 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards. “When you choose to eat red meat, slice it thinly on an angle and fan it out on the plate to help it feed your eye and fill the plate,” La Puma says. Serve vegetables alongside, and alternate bites. “Your pleasure will last longer, you’ll taste the meat more clearly, and you’ll end up satisfied with less,” he says.
           
And consider choosing the leanest cuts of beef. Read the package labels on ground beef to find the leanest versions. Be sure to trim off excess fat on steaks. Or download a wallet card listing 29 lean cuts of beef at BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Pick poultry. Who knew? Duck breast has a meaty flavor and texture similar to beef’s, but with far less saturated fat and fewer calories. It’s a great way to wean yourself off red meat. And you already know chicken and turkey are other substitutes for red meat.

Try the other “steak.” Reach for fish steaks, including mahimahi, tuna, or salmon: The substantial texture of fish steaks can make them credible stand-ins for meat.