Meat Alternatives for Everyone

Our world is in a obesity epidemic and it's clear that there are a few reasons why we got to where we are. More people are having bad health and consuming too much meat is one of the many reasons with not enough fruits and vegetables in the body. For some people that don't like the vegetarian way of eating, they are missing out on what they need. Eating meat is not the only way to go to get protein since there are other sources. Here are the list of other proteins that are not only healthy but it's also very filling.

1. Tofu: Great on calcium but also have manganese, magnesium, copper, selenium, and phosphorus. Also low in cholesterol and sodium. If you hate the idea of plain tofu, there are other ways to make them taste great such as stir fry them with vegetables like in tofu with stir fried eggs and tomato. Have oyster sauce over them and top it with rice. The Asian people have known about these for centuries since these are very healthy to consume.

2. Nuts and Seeds: These have at least 11 minerals such as calcium and iron as well as Vitamin A, B12, C, and K. Having a cup of almond a day as snack can help curb appetite during the day with a fruit such as an orange. They can also be sprinkled over in salads or can be eaten alone. Pistachios, macadamian nuts, cashews, peanuts, chestnuts are some of the best nuts to consume. What you can also do to the nuts and seeds is to make a trail mix out of it. Not only are they portable but they taste great whether alone or not.

3. Peanut butter or Almond Butter: Depending on which you like, some people may not like peanut butter so almond butter is an alternative. The difference between almond and peanut are the nuts since almond one have crushed almonds and made into fine creamy texture. I love how they taste and just like peanut butter, they can be used in place of peanut butter. They are just as good as peanut butter.

4. Bean sprouts: Despite that they are crunchy they are consider protein as well. Another name here is mung beans and they are used in stir fry and can be eaten raw. But still recommend washing them before consuming since you bought them at the store. Since the store get shipment of these all the time, you never know where it came from. Better safe than sorry.

5. Eggs (chicken, duck), Cheese: There are egg and cheese alternative for total vegetarian folks. Instead of using real chicken eggs, there is the liquid version where it is just white part of the eggs. As for the cheese, there is the soy cheese version. The soy one taste like the cow version but it costs more to get the same size as the regular cheese version. They usually have them in smaller size compare to the cheese we saw at regular stores like Safeway or Albertson. Get the soy cheese at places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods which are in cities everywhere.

6. Seafood such as fish, oysters, clams, shrimps, mussels- They are high in iron and most people love eating seafood. They are healthier than meat products but the concern is that since some fish have high mercury level, some of them need to be avoided such as mackerel, king fish, swordfish just to name a few. Oysters go great with butter after being steamed or as what some people do, just eat the oyster raw. Shrimps go good in salads as well as eat them with rice and veggies as well as in soups. For fish, can consume at least twice a week. Light tuna have less mercury than the albacore version.

I hope that you have some idea on what to have for protein in place of meat. Whether you decide to totally eliminate eating meat or once in a great while, make sure to consume these items on the list when you can. But consume fruits and veggies on a daily basis. Until then, live a happy and healthy life.