Why should we cook without meat a few times each week?
Avoiding meat and dairy products is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your environmental impact.[1] That’s because meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories – but they use 83% of farmland and produce 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions![2]
But if you and your family are used to eating meat and dairy, completely cutting them out isn’t going to be easy. That’s why we recommend going meat-free a few times a week to start with. It’s an easy way to introduce die-hard meat eaters to alternative foods without making them feel too cheated and resistant.
How do you start cutting out meat?
It’s easy to find out just how tasty meat-free and dairy-free meals can be. If you’re not used to cooking, most supermarkets now stock a good range of vegetarian and vegan ready meals.
Meanwhile, practice making some easy meals. Eating sustainably is easier, cheaper and more interesting if you know how to cook from scratch.
Check out our list of eco-friendly food alternatives for our guide to the best dairy and meat replacements.
If you have some experience cooking, start by searching Pinterest or BBC Good Food for recipe inspiration. You’ll have a lot of fun discovering foods you didn’t know existed. Look for recipes with a small number of familiar ingredients to start with, or swap out the meat in a meal that you’re used to making.
Can you save money by going meat-free?
Vegetables are generally cheaper than meat, so eating plant-based meals can save you money. For example:
- You can buy the ingredients for vegan chilli, including plant-based mince, for £2.01 (Aldi, April 23)
- It would cost £3.85 if you made the same chilli with minced beef (Aldi, April 23)
Alternatively, if you’re buying ready meals, you can save money by buying a side dish and treating it as your main. For example:
- Buy cauliflower cheese (Aldi, £2.09 for 750g) instead of a family-sized beef lasagne (Aldi, £3.69),
- Buy aloo gobi saag (Sainburys, £2.50) instead of chicken tikka masala (Sainsburys, £4.25).
Next:
Step 2: stop eating beef
[1,2] Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth (Accessed: February 20, 2023).
Photo credit: Ralph (Ravi) Kayden on Unsplash