• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Health My Lifestyle
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Learn
    • Nutrition
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop
    • Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Learn
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Meal Planner
    • Recipes
    • Learn
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Learn » Lifestyle

    How To Remove Meat From Your Diet (Slowly)

    Jan 29, 2017 · Modified: Feb 13, 2021 by Rachel · This post may contain affiliate links.

    I often get asked how one even begins to start removing meat from their diet. It can seem overwhelming. The diet is rather simple but shifting the mindset from a Standard American Diet to a plant-based one can seem complex for a lot of people. I want to show you how easy it is to make the change.

    First of all, you need to determine your motivation behind this decision to remove meat. Is it ethical? Watch Earthlings to reinforce your decision. Is it environmental? Watch Cowspiracy to understand the implications of animal agriculture on our environment. Is it health? Watch Forks Over Knives to solidify your understanding of why a plant-based diet is the healthiest and only proven diet to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. Educating yourself on these matters will help build your foundation to success and staying the course. After taking off the metaphorical blinders, you'll wish you had known all of these things a long time ago.

    The next step is to make a plan. Decide what your comfort level is first. Maybe you just want to try Meatless Mondays and then expand to other days of the week over time. Maybe you want to cut out red meat first, then eventually poultry and fish. I myself started with something as simple as ordering only vegetarian meals every time I went out to eat. I didn't really know how to cook vegetables at home to make them taste as good as restaurants do and I knew I needed more nutrients in my diet so by eating a vegetarian meal when at a restaurant I was guaranteed to get a couple servings of veggies. Most restaurants have vegetarian options now but a great site for finding veg-friendly restaurants in your area is Happy Cow. Eventually, I wanted to recreate those same tasty meals at home. Soon enough, there was no more meat in my fridge.

    Crispy tofu thai curry
    Crispy tofu thai curry ordered at restaurant

    Have a favorite recipe that includes meat? One of my friends mentioned that she simply left the meat out of her recipe and said it was just as good! If the recipe seems sparse after the removal of meat, just add more of whatever vegetables are already in it or add tofu or beans as a meat replacement. They are both great for absorbing whatever spice/sauce is in the dish and are excellent sources of protein.

    easy stir fry

    When eliminating meat, remember not to just replace it with processed starches. Bread is okay when it's whole grain with minimal ingredients (my favorite is Ezekiel) and brown rice is good too. The best thing to do is to think about whole grains as the center of the dish rather than meat and your meals will come together a lot easier. It is the largest food group after all! So load up on sweet potatoes, brown rice, squash, whole wheat items, and oats!

    homemade stew
    Hearty homemade stew without the meat

    There is also a plethora of fake meats on the market now if you choose to go that route. They are great for transitioning or to have on occasion when you have a craving. Just remember that they are processed and more expensive. You're better off with the above suggestion of using tofu, beans, and whole grains (for a slimmer waist and fuller wallet).

    Also, as you make the conscious decision to remove meat, think about what you're gaining not what you're giving up. You're going to be trying new foods, finding new favorites, gaining back health and energy, reducing your impact on the planet, and saving lives! And when you slip up, don't be too hard on yourself. Just do the best you can and reevaluate what caused the slip up and what you can do to prevent it next time.

    In the end, do it at a pace that is comfortable for you. There is no rush, because any progress is good progress. Ultimately, the end goal should be to cut out meat entirely but setting up a step-by-step plan will ensure you make progress towards your end goal. Set a timeline, plan the steps, then do it!

    Hope this helps and inspires you to make the change!

    For some additional resources, check out my series on How Your Diet is Slowly Killing You Part One, Two, Three, and Four.

    And if you need some help with tried and true plant-based recipes, I highly recommend you check out our Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner. It fast-tracks you to eating wholesome and delicious plant-based recipes so you can stop worrying about what to eat and start focusing on things that matter to you most.

    Share this:

    More Plant Based Lifestyle

    • Is Cool Whip Vegan? Ultimate Vegan Whipped Cream Guide
    • Is Ramen Vegan? Your Complete Guide
    • Best Coconut Vinegar Substitutes
    • The Best Coconut Sugar Substitutes and How to Use Them

    Did you grab your free meal plan yet?

    Sign up here to download it instantly!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Rachel and I'm here to help you transition to a healthy plant-based diet in the easiest way possible. I share simple recipes and tips you can implement today to make it practical and approachable. Read more about my plant-based journey

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    HML Favorites

    three healthy pita pizzas with lots of veggies and toppings

    Easy Pita Pizzas 3 Ways

    Coconut crusted vegan shrimp on a plate with lemon wedge.

    The Best Coconut Vegan Shrimp

    Fork holding a piece of marinated crispy air fried tempeh.

    Crispy Marinated Air Fryer Tempeh

    Collage of four vegan stews.

    30+ Best Vegan Stew Recipes

    Don't Miss Out!

    Sign up to receive recipes, tips, and more!

    Privacy Policy & Disclosure

    Top Recipes

    Homemade Pea Protein Powder (Easy + Vegan)

    Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip these up. These bars are so easy to make, you'll never buy store-bought granola bars again. They are very filling, boasting 9g of protein using only whole food ingredients, and are vegan and gluten free! #granolabar #vegansnack #easysnack #vegan #glutenfree #healthysnack

    5-Ingredient No-Bake Granola Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free)

    Healthy Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats are going to have you wondering if you're eating breakfast or dessert. They're filling, delicious, high protein, and taste like candy! They're also gluten-free and sugar-free. #snickers #overnightoats #veganbreakfast #postworkoutsnack

    Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats

    This carrot bacon recipe is so easy and great for when you want the delicious sweet and smoky-ness of bacon! Just 8 simple ingredients, a peeler, and an oven or air-fryer is all you need. Vegan bacon can be made in many ways but this carrot bacon is one of the simplest and most similar looking to actual bacon. And did I mention delicious? #carrotbacon #veganbacon #plantbased #vegan #veganrecipe #veganbreakfast #plantbasedbreakfast #meatfree #meatlessmeals

    Carrot Bacon

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Enjoying these recipes?
    Now you can Buy Me a Coffee to help support the creation of new ones. Thank you!

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About

    Shop

    • My Favorites
    • Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan & Nutrition Guide

    Stay Connected

    • Sign Up! for a free meal plan and updates
    • Contact
    • Meal Planner Support

      Featured In

      Logos of publications that Rachel from Health My Lifestyle has been featured in including Eat This Not That, Everyday Health, Greatist, MSN, My Fitness Pal, Vegan Life Magazine, and One Green Planet.

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

      Copyright © 2022 Health My Lifestyle LLC