A Cheat Sheet for Stretching Meat

AKA – How to serve less meat to your “meat and potatoes” family.

It’s a fact – the cost of meat is skyrocketing and the frustrating question everyone is asking is – 

“How can I possibly save money on meat while keeping my meat and potatoes family happy?”

Sound familiar? If you need a meat lover’s guide to eating less meat – you’ve come to the right place!

Remember your “why”

As with any change, it’s important to establish your reason for making this change. Why do you want to serve less meat? This is why are you making this change to begin with.

When you’re feeling weak in your resolve, remind yourself of your “why.” 

Here are some things to keep in mind. Reducing meat consumption will improve your health, lower your risk of chronic diseases, and increase energy levels. Beyond personal health, eating less meat helps reduce your environmental impact, conserves natural resources, and promotes animal welfare. These reasons create a powerful purpose that makes each meal choice a meaningful step toward a healthier and more sustainable future.

And you’ll save money! 

Yes, there is research that suggests families can save money by reducing meat consumption. Here are some key points:

1. Cost Comparison: According to a 2019 report from the EAT-Lancet Commission, plant-based diets are generally less expensive than diets high in animal products. For example, replacing meat with beans, lentils, and vegetables can cut grocery bills significantly.

2. Budget Analysis: A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition in 2020 found that shifting from a meat-based to a plant-based diet can reduce food costs by 20-30%. This varies based on the types of plant-based foods chosen and the local cost of meat.

3. Weekly Savings: The American Heart Association estimates that a family of four could save around $400-$500 annually by reducing their meat consumption and focusing on plant-based proteins.

4. Long-Term Benefits: A report from the World Resources Institute highlights that decreasing meat consumption can lead to substantial savings over time, particularly when considering the costs associated with health care and environmental impacts.

By incorporating more plant-based meals, families can not only lower their grocery bills but also contribute to better health and sustainability.

 

Here are some tricks, tips and techniques to serve less meat and chances are your family won’t even notice.

Do it gradually.

• When you make your family’s favorite meals, each time just use less meat than the recipe calls for.  Remember your goal is cutting back, not cutting out completely.

When you use less meat, bulk up recipes with extra veggies.

• Add beans to chili, and zucchini to lasagna. Also, add celery, onion and carrot to meatloaf and hamburgers.

Use less expensive cuts of meat and stock up when they’re on sale.

• Instead of chicken breast you could buy whole chickens. Rather than buy steak, you can buy chuck roast or London broil. Skip the pork tenderloin and serve pork butt.

• Learn the best way to cook these cuts so they’re succulent and not dry or tough. It’s really not the cut of meat but the preparation method that determines tenderness.  

Add Meatless Monday to your meal rotation.

• Word to the wise –  don’t serve piles of salad or bust out the tofu just yet or you could have a mutiny on your hands.
• Remember the combination of beans and rice creates a complete protein. Beans alone and rice alone both lack certain essential amino acids. When eaten together, however, each contributes what the other is missing to form a complete protein.

• Serve dishes centered around a non-meat protein like eggs, cheese or beans. Some ideas would be quiche, cheese and bean enchiladas, veggie lasagna, mac and cheese, bean or veggie soups, grilled cheese sandwiches. For example, here’s Cheese Enchiladas with Homemade Red Sauce  

 

• Plan meals around favorite vegetables. Family like corn? Make corn chowder. Like broccoli? Make broccoli cheese casserole. Potatoes? Serve loaded baked potatoes with cheese and veggies but little or no meat.

Ratchet up the and flavor they won’t feel cheated or even notice, or look at you and say “Where’s the beef?”   

• When you cut back the meat, make sure the meat you use is very flavorful. Sausage is a great way to do this and you can buy single sausages at the meat counter or butcher’s case in the store for a dollar.

• There are lots of sausage styles made from pork, beef, turkey and chicken. There are lots of varieties available like breakfast sausage, link sausage, kielbasa, smoked sausage, chorizo, both Mexican and Spanish. Turkey Italian sausage, chicken and basil, chicken and apple. This list goes on and on.

• Use small amounts of sausage to replace or supplement hamburger, pork or chicken in recipes like spaghetti sauces, pizza, pastas, casseroles, soups or chili.

Save dough with dough.

• Everyone likes pizza!  Make pizza with very little meat but lots of cheese and veggies.
• Fill calzones with tomato, spinach and mozzarella.
• Make pot pies or hand pies with veggie based fillings. 
• Use a large piece of toasted bread as base for a rich stew or make grilled sandwiches with soup. 

Embrace the bean.

• All the beans. Give the “go-to” pinto beans a break and explore recipes that use white beans, garbanzos, black beans or lentils as the protein source. Dried beans can be easily made in a fraction of the usual time with an Instant Pot Multi Cooker. Honestly, my personal instant pot has been used to make beans weekly since the day I got it.
• Beans don’t have to look like beans either.  You can make falafel, bean burgers, soups, refried beans or hummus.   Dried beans are Power Packed for Pennies

No skimpy meals!

• Understand your family may be concerned they won’t be satisfied with the new meals. Sometimes spouses and kids think “meatless” means small, puny “healthy in a bad way” types of food. Spa food. They fear the cucumber fricassee, tofu on a stick and fennel twig tea.

• The meal needs to look hearty too. Serve something “big” on the plate. Serve chunky stews, chilies or meaty sauces over baked potatoes or halved butternut or acorn squashes or with generous servings of whole wheat pasta or brown rice.
• Use “meaty” veggies like eggplant and mushrooms as they can mimic the texture of meat.

Meatless or less meat meals don’t have to be carbohydrate bombs.

• Use spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of pasta. Replace half of the pasta with shredded sautéed cabbage. Use cauliflower to make pizza crusts, cauli-rice and faux-taytoes for sopping up gravy or sauces.

Be aware of the cost of your substitutions.

• If cost is the main concern, it won’t do any good to switch out hamburger for portabella mushrooms if the hamburger is 6.49 a pound and the portabella mushrooms are 7.99 a pound. 

If you can’t change dinner, economize on other meals.

• Like oatmeal for breakfast in lieu of bacon. Have cheese or peanut butter sandwiches instead of turkey sandwiches.

I’ll end with my number one tip –

Don’t talk about it.

Just make the change and chances are they’ll happily eat whatever is on their plate.

Changing your family’s diet is a big step, and I’m so proud of you for making this choice for both your health and your budget. Remember, it’s all about progress, not perfection. Small shifts, like adding more plant-based meals, can make a huge difference over time. You’ve got this!

 

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