Carnivore or Herbivore or Somewhere in Between

When you are planning a meal, what are you going to put on your plate? Most of the time, I think of a meal as a meat with two sides and probably dessert because I have a sweet tooth. Those sides could be either one starch and a veggie or two veggies or more often than not, it’s two starches. I like my potatoes and breads more than I should…oh, and a really good macaroni and cheese. Heck, pasta+cheese = my tastebuds dancing!

When we order at a restaurant, the majority of the entrees contain a meat item with one to two sides, possibly a salad and maybe a bread. There are meatless options but the bulk of the menu are meat+something options. Did you know that by eating less meat, that could benefit the environment? I was reading an interesting article about it in a 2018 volume of Science and the authors commented that “Meat produces more emissions per unit of energy compared with plant-based foods because energy is lost at each trophic level. Within types of meat, ruminant production usually leads to more emissions than that of nonruminant mammals, and poultry production leads to less emissions than that of mammals.”

Another article I read in Time reported that “Americans eat 122 kg (270 lb.) of meat a year on average, while Bangladeshis eat 1.8 kg (4 lb).” So there are vast differences between our dietary habits and other places in the world. It is possible to live on a diet that incorporates less meat and more plant-based foods. If we were to reduce the amount of meat we eat, that could reduce the number of animals raised for meat and thus lower the amount of resources they consume. The same Time article mentioned that “some 40% of the world’s land surface is used for the purposes of keeping all 7 billion of us fed … And the vast majority of that land — about 30% of the word’s total ice-free surface — is used not to raise grains, fruits and vegetables that are directly fed to human beings, but to support the chickens, pigs and cattle that we eventually eat.” Less animals could also mean lower emissions.

I am an omnivore. I eat both plants and animals, finding enjoyment from all sorts of recipes. Some days, I just really want a salad. Other days, I crave a really good steak (and maybe someday I will figure out how to cook one myself). However, I have been doing some reading about meal planning and a frequent suggestion for shoppers on a budget is to replace a traditional recipe in your weekly meal planning with one meatless meal. This intrigued me because when I think of meatless meals, I think soups and I do not really make soups when it’s not super cold outside. This is Texas. We don’t have a ton of super cold days so I don’t make a ton of soups.

I don’t know if you have been reading my Financial Fridays posts but if you have, you are already aware that I tend to be frugal. I am all about saving where I can and that’s partially why the meatless meals appealed to me. Meat is just expensive. You’re spending $4-5 on a pound of ground beef and that’s just for the meat. Depending on what you’re making, that one pound of beef may or may not stretch enough to cover food for everyone at your table.

When I first started looking around to see what was readily available as meatless options to just get a taste of what those meals could encompass, I was pleasantly surprised. There are a LOT of options out there! I picked up a veggie lasagna that had a white cheese sauce rather than a tomato base and surprised my family with it one night. They were definitely surprised and not in a good way. My youngest could not understand why there was broccoli and carrots in a lasagna. I think they all opted for cereal that night. I ate veggie lasagna for the next two days so it wouldn’t go to waste.

However, I had an opportunity to eat at a burger place in the Metroplex that offered a portabella mushroom where the portabella mushroom cap was served in lieu of a meat patty. I will tell you something. That was one surprising and delicious vegetation meal! My husband tried a bite or two – I wouldn’t share more than that – and remarked how he wished he had ordered that instead. It was filling, tasty, and after I ate it, I did not experience that “heavy” sloth feeling I get sometimes when eating a burger or similarly greasy meat item.

Be adventurous with your food and explore what’s out there for meatless meal options. You might have a few misses in the taste department but you might also find some that are a slam dunk to bring to the table for your family to enjoy time after time. It will benefit you, your wallet, and the environment! That’s a triple win!