Putting
Meat Back in Its Place
June 11 2008 - Source: MARK
BITTMAN, NY
Times
 LET’S
suppose you’ve decided to eat less
meat, or are considering it. And let’s ignore
your reasons for doing so.
They may be economic, ethical, altruistic, nutritional
or even irrational. The arguments for eating less
meat are myriad and well-publicized, but at the moment
they’re
irrelevant, because what I want to address here is
(almost) purely pragmatic: How do you do it?
I’m
not talking about eating no meat; I’m
talking about cutting back, which in some ways is
harder than quitting. Vegetarian recipes and traditions
are everywhere. But in the American style of eating — with
meat usually at the center of the plate — it
can be difficult to eat two ounces of beef and call
it dinner.
Cutting back on meat is not an isolated process.
Unlike, say, taking up meditation or exercise, it
usually has consequences for others.
The keys are
to keep at least some of your decisions personal
so they affect no one but yourself and, when they
do affect others, minimize the pain and don’t
preach. (No one likes a proselytizer.)
On the other
hand, don’t apologize; by serving
your friends or family less meat you’re certainly
doing them no harm, and may be doing them good — as
long as what you serve is delicious, and that’s
easy enough.
Reducing the meat habit can be done,
and it doesn’t
have to make you crazy. Although there will undoubtedly
be times you’ll have cravings, they’ll
never give you the shakes. So, in no particular order,
here are some suggestions to ease your path to eating
less meat.
1. Forget the protein thing. Roughly simultaneously
with your declaration that you’re cutting back
on meat, someone will ask “How are you going
to get enough protein?” The answer is “by
beingomnivorous.” Plants have protein, too;
in fact, per calorie, many plants have more protein
than meat. (For example, a cheeseburger contains
14.57 grams of protein in 286 calories, or about
.05 grams of protein per calorie; a serving of spinach
has 2.97 grams of protein in 23 calories, or .12
grams of protein per calorie; lentils have .07 grams
per calorie.) By eating a variety, you can get all
essential amino acids.
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