Holy Buckets but I'm so excited for you!!!!!!!
These questions can really be divided into two main categories. #1- I want to eat less meat. #2- I want my family (especially my husband) to eat healthier. First can I just say how thrilled I am that you've turned to me for a little guidance! While I am in no way an expert at this, it's clear that I've been on this journey for quite awhile now and have had some BIG success in getting my family to get a mostly plant based, whole foods, organic diet with very limited meat. In short- we are Flexitarians! Each year, I feel like we personally make big strides in our health and our diet and I completely understand the desire to do better and make healthier choices! With that being said- let's address those questions y'all!
#1- So you want to eat less meat? Love, love, LOVE IT!!!!!
Let's just address a big misconception. Protein. Good Lord but the moment you tell people you want to go veg, they suddenly become nutritionists and experts on protein. Yeah, no. Here's the truth- if you are eating a well rounded diet full of LOTS of veggies, they you are most likely getting enough protein. Plants have protein, lots of protein. My own personal truth here is that when we started eating more vegetables, reduced the carbs a bit and focused on whole foods from the earth- I felt full faster and longer. In addition, my entire family has had yearly physicals and blood work done and we are NOT lacking for any vitamins or nutrients in our bodies. In fact, we are healthier than we've ever been! So this really does work!
Secondly, lets talk about what kinds of foods you should be eating when you decide to eat less meat. Please for the love of God, do NOT run out and buy a ton of "vegetarian" or "vegan" marketed processed foods. I'm talking, Morningstar Farms, Quorn, Yves, Gardein and the like because these things are filled with chemicals and GMO's. Sure- they might be OK every once in awhile as a special treat but they should never be a mainstay in your diet.
So if you shouldn't buy prepackaged vegetarian foods, they how are you going to feed your family? Well folks- you're gonna need to learn to cook. You'll also want to experiment with grains and legumes- quinoa, lentils, beans OH MY! I've learned how to take some of my family's favorite foods and substitute these healthy protein sources in place of chicken, beef and pork. Quinoa works well in most dishes that you would normally use chicken and lentils are a great substitute for beef. Of course, you can also simply add in extra veggies and leave out the meat entirely. I do this ALL the time! I have many of our family favorite recipes here on the blog- be sure to check it out!
Want to read more?
- Eating Well When You Don't Have the Time
- Transform Your Health: A Husband's Journey
- Tips For Food Shopping
#2- How do you get your husband and other picky family members to eat a healthier diet? Well you guys, this one is simply all about persistence. Slow and steady will win this race.
It took us 7 years to get to the point we are at currently which is pretty much no meat in our house AT ALL and many vegan dishes throughout the week. We are 95% organic and homemade and we no longer eat out at many fast food spots and other restaurants. True story- I bought a pound of organic ground beef from our local farmer and it took us two months to eat it. No joke- TWO MONTHS. Wow! What a change from just several years ago.
I wrote a great post recently on exactly this topic, you can click here to check it out. But I'll just summarize for you here and tell you that the true key to success with this is to go slow, keep at it and look for foods and dishes that your family already likes. Do NOT try to serve anything to "weird" or out of the ordinary to your family right out of the gate or they will approach every meal with skepticism. A few other tricks I've learned is that flavor is very important to vegetarian dishes- SPICES are your new best friend and when in doubt, put some shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream on it and call it good. Seriously, don't underestimate the power of cheese mmkay...
As you begin this journey a few other things to keep in mind are this- simply look for ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your meals. Start snacking on the whole foods instead of the processed foods. Begin with one meatless meal each week and slowly increase that over time. Remember- slow and steady. You got this! And can I just say how proud I am of you all for making this choice! I promise you that you won't ever regret it!
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