Health experts warn that eating too much red meat can have harmful effects on your body. It can raise cholesterol and increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. If you're motivated to reduce your consumption of red meat, you may be worrying about what to replace it with so you'll get the protein your body needs.
Plant Protein
Plants are surprisingly high in protein. You may be familiar with the protein in whole grains such as rice, corn, quinoa, and oats. One cup per day can provide between 6 and 20% of your total protein needs. Certain vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts also have significant amounts of poultry.
Legumes are another rich source of protein, as well as fiber and other nutrients. Beans such as soy, chickpeas, lentils, and black beans are amazingly versatile and can be integrated into many recipes and cuisines. Canned beans are just as healthy as dried beans.
Fish
Fish is one of the best animal-based proteins you can eat. Fish is great for your health because it has essential nutrients like protein and phosphorus. It also contains vitamin B-12, a nutrient that people can only get by eating animal products.
Fish is easy to prepare if you buy it already fileted and quickly frozen. You can bake it or sauté it quickly in a frying pan with a little vegetable oil and herbs. Lemon butter, garlic, and Dijon mustard make great sauces.
Nuts and Seeds
While you probably won't eat nuts and seeds as a meal, they can be eaten as snacks and added to many foods for a boost of protein. They contain healthy fats that your body needs for heart health. Sesame seeds and chia are also great because they are also high in calcium.
Try sprinkling some nuts or seeds in a salad or add them to your breakfast cereal. They're also tasty as part of granola that you can mix in with yogurt. You can also buy flours made from nuts such as almonds.
Cutting down on red meat is a good choice that can lead to better health in the long run. At the same time, you don't want to deprive your body of the nutritional benefits you were accustomed to. But, by gradually replacing red meat with healthier food proteins, you can create a satisfying and sustainable diet.
Check out this article for more ways you can make your kitchen healthier!