Meat is one of the world’s most widely consumed and sought-after food products. Around 75% of the world eats meat on a regular basis. Many eat it because of its taste and nutrients, but there are many benefits to consuming less meat in a daily diet.
For starters, eating less meat in a person’s daily diet has many health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, people who eat less meat often have a healthy and consistent weight. A diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and nuts has been proven to lower the chances of developing heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
There are also many environmental benefits to consuming less meat. Growing crops to feed animals causes deforestation and destroys ecosystems. If there is less meat being consumed, there would be less animals that are being raised for meat and less livestock feed needing to be grown. Animals would also benefit from people consuming less meat because there would be fewer animals being bred and treated cruelly in slaughterhouses.
Completely restricting meat from the diet can be a large and difficult step for many, so some small steps can be taken to reduce the amount of meat a person has in their diet. The first thing people can do is simply have one to two days of their week in which they will not have any meat on their plate. Just taking this small step can greatly benefit personal health and the environment.
There are many websites that can assist in helping find tasty and healthy meatless meals, including Tasty and The Plant-Based School.