Using Less Meat

I cut down on meat costs by stopping all meat consumption lol. Actually, I did it for the animals, my health and the planet, but it really did help the wallet too. Meat is expensive and the stuff in a grocery store is far from what it should be health wise. Yet if you go to where it's been raised humanely and cleanly, it's more expensive. I guess you just keep doing what you're doing.. we don't need meat in the diet, so whenever it's on sale is just fine.

 

I honestly buy what's on sale and then use what I buy completely before I go out and buy any other meat. Also I heard somewhere (not sure where) that most recipes that call for meat of any sort, especially ground beef, is actually asking for MORE than you really need. When you use a recipe next time with ground beef in it (that you've tried making before) and cut down on the amount of beef you add. I'm PRETTY sure you won't be able to tell the difference

 

I think cutting back on meat consumption is not only good for your wallet but also your health. Buying a few meat products and stretching them as far as possible is the way to go in my opinion. It'll save you money, but still allow you to enjoy meat and the protein. But it will also limit you from whatever hormones and other things going on in the meat production industry.

 

Have you considered taking a 'Meatless Monday' into account or at least another day equivalent. It's not as though we really need the meat as the protein. There are plenty of supplements that can take the place of the expensive protein. I guess the key is disguising whether your family notices with flavours that compensate for the lack of fat/texture.

 

I don't agree on skipping meat altogether, protein is an invaluable part of a balanced diet. I recommend high-protein alternatives such as tofu, beans and eggs to supplement cutting down on meat.

 

I do a Meatfree Monday and also have two other 'detox' periods during the year of 3-4 weeks each time. Overall my meat consumption is a lot lower now than it was say 5 years ago. Hopefully my wallet/body is feeling the benefits.

 

Going on for a "No Meat Day" every day is a pretty good idea. Not only because it will lessen your weekly budget on grocery shopping, but also it could be able to give health benefits to you, not to mention, you are going to be favored by animal rights' activists too.

I was also considering becoming vegan/vegetarian before, but I know I could never resist meat forever. So I just try to minimize my eat consumption, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

 

I'm vegetarian so it does make a difference to my grocery bill. I know it's a personal preference, but cutting down on meat can be healthier as well as cheaper. My parents still eat fish, so some days that have vegetarian days and fish on the other days. I do think maybe having a few meat free days can cut down on costs and also it will reduce the saturated fat content in meals. There are many high protein alternatives which are cheaper, but do think fish is a good protein for people that need more substantial protein.

I think also the quality of the meat or fish makes a difference.There is little nutritional value in poor quaility meat, so you need to figure out value and nutritional quality.

 

It's obviously not for everyone, we evolved on it, it's to be expected that not everyone would jump on board lol. The studies disagree with you though. Non meat eaters are generally much healthier and live longer lives. Even reverse disease or prevent further occurrence. There are many protein sources.. nobody needs meat anymore, it's just a preference.

 

Buying fresh meat can be expensive. Sometimes in my family we take a break from eating meat for about a week. It is less expensive and I think it is healthier. When I take a break from meat I find that I eat more vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.

 

It can be tricky for some of us meat eaters to go meatless for extended periods of time, because personally I find myself falling back on stuff like cheese or fresh mushrooms, and other expensive non-meat items. I mean, even large Portabella caps cost about as much per pound as meat, which is ridiculous. And small wedges of cheese can easily cost over $10 each. Leafy greens aren't very cost effective either, since they cook down to almost nothing - a large head of Escarole cooked down is barely enough for two people, for example. But the same goes for stuff like Spinach or Swiss Chard. Processed meat substitutes are not only expensive, but, well...processed. In addition, I don't like eating so many soy products as a substitution for meats.

 

If I need to cut down on meat for one reason or another, I just y to put in some acceptable extenders like tofu or mushrooms. First off, I already like those ingredients to begin with so it doesn't really feel like I'm sacrificing anything at all, and it also adds a lot more dimension to a dish that I may otherwise consider boring if it were just all meat.

 

One thing we do is try to buy stuff that's on sale. Another thing we do is to freeze meat so it can last longer. Another good way to save on meat is to buy it in bulk and then freeze it. Of course you can save money if you incorporate more vegetarian meals into your weekly routine. It isn't for everyone, but it is an option to help save on the rising costs of meat.

 

We've had to cut right back on meat, because of financial constraints. Meat is one of those things that just keeps getting more and more expensive. We've gone right down to maybe once a week, if that. It's not a lifestyle choice because if we could, we'd have meat around three times a week. We now buy cheaper meat like sausages and minced meat. If we see any going for cheap, we buy it and freeze it for later use. We've even started incorporating corned beef into our diet.

 

I have a nice little discount store near my home, although I know not everyone does. Anyway, if you have Aldi near you, you can still find some meats cheaper there. Ground beef is still cheaper than other stores there, although some of the other meat prices are continuing to climb.

I try to pare down the amount of meat I use per dish. Even if you do it just a little, it adds up. For example, if I were to make a ground beef and noodles dish, I would use 3/4 lb. instead of the full pound. That's one 1/4 lb. burger for another time, or combined with other 1/4 pounds from doing this regularly, I end up with another meal. I also make more soups and stews, since meat goes a lot further in such dishes.

Have you tried using tuna instead of other meats sometimes? Tuna and pasta, both hot and cold varieties, can be a good alternative. I've also made tuna patties instead of salmon patties as well, or make tuna melts.

Keep in mind that there is no rule that says everyone has to eat the same thing either. It's more work, yes, but if you have a little of this and a little of that, there's nothing wrong with serving up separate dishes. I just give each person whichever item they prefer of the available choices.

 

Where do you live that you have to pay $7 a pound for ground beef? That seems extremely high and I live in California, where anything and everything is overpriced. I just went to the grocery store the other day, and was able to pay $4.50 a pound for ground beef and $2.99 for chicken breasts. Not exactly cheap, but its something I can work with.

As far as cutting own my meat consumption, I make a lot of stir-fry dishes where I don't need to use a ton of meat. Like you said, incorporating meat into the dish and not making it the focus can cut down how much meat you use per meal.

 

We use less meat in our meals, I even have days without meat as I am not a big meat eater. I can be very happy with soup, fruit and vegetables. Purchasing meat on sale helps also and not making meat the main course stretches the budget more.

 

We try to consume less meat in our house because of health reason. Instead we used some meat alternatives like tofu in our dish, though I do not like the taste so much.