How can I cook less meat without my husband complaining?

Okay, my husband and son are very skinny and they eat massive amounts of protein. I guess they need protein because they are active or something, but I want to eat less meat as a family. My husband hates beans.
How can I make protein substitutions for meat that they will accept? Has anyone had this problem, and how did you solve it? I want to eat less meat for health and environmental reasons.

when you're making combined dishes and casseroles, it's easy to just sort of back off on the amount of meat quite a bit, using it more for a flavoring than for the bulk of the dish. spaghetti, for instance. if you usually use a pound of ground beef, try using just a half or a third of a pound, and maybe chop up some extra veggies to cook in the sauce. probably nobody will notice the difference there.

for hamburgers, i broke my husband in by using half and half for a long time until he got used to it - half fake burger, half real, mixed together and cooked up.

chicken tenders and chicken nuggets by Quorn are so close to the real thing that they may not even notice the difference at all.

if he's really dying for meat, he can make himself a burger or indulge when you go out to eat, maybe. in the end, you can't force him to stop eating meat if he's unwilling, but you can do a lot to help him if he's open to trying to cut down.

plain + simple , cook smaller portions of meat + see what he has to say about it , if he says nothing whittle it down . i suggest casseroles , easy to hide less or no meat in

Chopping it into smaller bits reduces the amount of meat you use. Stir fries, chilis, pastas, that sort of thing, are easiest to disguise less meat in.

If they're eating more than a couple of card-deck sized portions of meat a day, you might want to consider replacing regular meat with organic meat instead. I'd be worried about the amount of hormone and antibiotic they'd be eating.

oh someone gave me a hint try those boca burgers I like them. cut them up in place of beef in some dishes too that will be yummy.

I agree with the faux meat thing. Lightlife makes Smart Strips you can use in stir fries or fajitas. Many companies make veggie burgers. There are veggie deli slices, veggie sausage, veggie dogs. Try making dishes subbing the veggie stuff. Experiment. See what you, your husband, and your son like.

And I'm not a big fan of beans either, but when mixed with other foods, I'll eat them. I personally need something crunchy with my beans, like a taco shell. Make chili with tempeh instead of ground meat and serve it over fries or chips. I love veggie chili with french fries! Or make a chili mac.

If there's a vegetarian or veg-friendly restaurant in your area, check it out and try their dishes for ideas.

And I agree, get your husband and son involved. Let them know why you want to reduce your meat consumption. And let them know you're concerned about their health, too.

I think you have work with your husband on this. It really depends on his tastes and his willingness to try new things. If he doesn't like "beans" in their entirety, it sounds like he's not an adventurous eater. But its also possible he simply hasn't been exposed to some of the tastier ways of eating beans. Maybe you're going to have try some new things in terms of preparation.

One way to cut back on protein is to continue to make "meat" dishes, but where the meat is not a standalone item (like a steak or roast chicken). Things like a stew or stir fry deliver both protein and a vegetable component. Plus, they tend encourage the consumption of starch (like noodles or rice).

Get some cookbooks for ideas both about ingredients and recipes. If you aren't that comfortable cooking from recipes, get titles from Cooks Illustrated, or the Joy of Cooking which do an excellent job providing detailed instructions.

You also need to (pardon the expression) flesh out what you to eat more of. Are fish and/or chicken ok? What non-meat items does he like. Pasta? Pizza? Tofu? Vegetables?

Finally, if you're taking protein out of the diet, you should be aware of what you are replacing it with. If it's a big plate of carbohydrates without adding nutrition, is that really achieving the health benefits you set out for?

I started doing this at my home. Some easy things to do are start substituting sliced/diced tofu in place of meat in pastas, baked dishes, rice dishes, stir-fry. Then I found a product that is ground and browned tofu that looks just like ground beef. Sub that in some dishes. My fiance has started to enjoy tofu without knowing what it was. Now he knows and loves it.

Check out this site for some meatless options

http://www.veggiechef.com/glossary.htm

I've had veggie schnitzels that I swear tasted like meat. Try them on fake-meat products, usually these have added benefits like additional iron etc. and then after an exceptionally good meal when they compliment you on the 'sausages' or 'schnitzel' reveal to them its not meat and they might be more willing to try meat alternatives.

Also does he really hate beans? I had a house mate who said he hated beans because he didn't eat baked beans but I made a chilli recipe from kidney beans, bean mix and some other things (including a vegetarian 'casserole mince' which you can get in Australia) and he didn't even know it was beans and kept saying he thought it was meat.

Maybe you can get your husband to grill steaks or other meat for himself & your son. My husband enjoys grilling, and I often turn over the meat portion of meal preparation to him while I do the side dishes inside.

While it's really not completely reasonable for you to impose your personal dietary decisions on the rest of the family, you could try and get them more involved in meal planning and preparation. Nachos, pasta bar, and other DIY layered type entrees might work for your family, with each person choosing the items he/she wants.

start using leaner meats and fish and then introduce other proteins like lentils, soy products and whatever else you think might be good. if you're making a dietary change as a family, you should all be on board. otherwise, you should cook for yourselves if you can't agree on what's good.

You can always use some products such as Yves veggie and mix some meat in with it. Such as mix hamburger with the Groundround fake hamburger. Cut the meat up smaller and mix it in with whatever dish you are making. Just make sure they are filling themselves up with something like a whole grain, rice, quinoa, millet, pasta, yams, potatoes, etc. instead of meat.

Meat does not give one energy. Also, eating a lot of meat will cause one to be thinner, such as Atkins has proven. But it's not a healthy thin.

Maybe he doesn't like beans because he's never had any beans that are any good.... hence, there are a lot of different beans in the world. Who doesn't like garbanzo beans? Or kidney beans? He doesn't? Weird! Try lentils. Red lentils are tasty and quick to cook compared to the green/brown/etc. ones. You can literally throw a handful of red in with the rice.

Remember, in most places around the world, meat is considered a garnish... not something you just load onto your plate.

Try to do some research about nutrition etc. then you can get some good ideas on how to feed your family properly. it really doesn't matter whether you are vegetarian/vegan or otherwise. A good nutritional diet is ideally a must for all families regardless of persuasion.


This may sound creepy but have you thought of sex as a bribe? The less meat he eats, the more he gets some... don't mean to be rude but it worked for me when wife wanted me to cut down on booze..

well, as the family cook, you can determine how YOU eat, but, obviously, you can't force your family to go vegetarian, so you'll have to cook meat for them.. but you can still know that you are trying by not eating it..

Experiment with soy burgers.. Then you can make hamburgers for the family, a soy one for you.. and eat all the same extras.. very little extra work to make a vegetarian meal and a non veg meal together..

also spaghetti.. buy a sauce without meat.. and save some for yourself.. add meat to the rest, or make meatballs on the side..

if you get creative, you can serve your family meat and have a completely vegetarian meal for yourself, with very little work!

Use vegetarian alternatives like Quorn without telling them. They may not even notice the difference. Quorn do mince as well as chicken-type products.