JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
The price of ground beef in the U.S. is sky-high right now, and it's putting American shoppers at a crossroads - pay more, or eat less meat. If you are thinking about making changes to your diet, our friends at NPR's Life Kit podcast have you covered. Host Maria Godoy spoke with nutritionist Tracye McQuirter about embracing a meat-free lifestyle.
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MARIA GODOY: So, Tracy, what are some impactful but smaller changes you can make to your diet if you want to start eating less meat?
TRACYE MCQUIRTER: Well, I like to start by suggesting that people add. And so that means adding more plant-based proteins to your plate. So for example, if you're making a stir fry for dinner and you have colorful vegetables, you're having that over brown rice, for example, you can add in tofu. You can add in cashews. You can add in almonds. You can add in pecans as your protein. You can add in edamame as your protein instead of meat and still have a really delicious, healthy dish. And so I always tell people to start by adding to the familiar foods that they're already making.
GODOY: What are some practical tips for cutting out meat in terms of meal prep or, you know, just things we should stock in our pantry?
MCQUIRTER: So I would definitely suggest stocking up on beans, and add them to any dish that you're having. You can have them in tacos. You can have them in a wrap. You can have them on a salad. You can have them in a soup or a chili. So just think about beans and the different colors. So if you're going to your supermarket, just kind of look in the bulk bin and just choose some colorful beans and always have those on hand. Try to have at least three colors on your plate, and, you know, don't be afraid to have more than one vegetable at a time to add to those colors.
GODOY: Let's dig into that whole idea of colors. Why is it important to eat the rainbow when we're talking about fruits and vegetables?
MCQUIRTER: They each reflect specific nutrients and antioxidants, cancer-fighting agents in your food. So that's why you want to focus on the color because it means more nutrients. Also you want to have whole grains on hand. They're high in protein and also many, many other nutrients that are good for you - iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium.
The way that you really know that you're getting the nutrients that you need on a plant-based diet is just by having variety. So don't focus on the day. Focus on the week, and just have a variety of grains and beans and fruits and vegetables and also just seasonings, your favorite seasoning. Seasonings are important whatever - for whatever type of foods that you're eating, whatever type of diet that you have, right? If you love Thai, if you love Ethiopian, if you love Caribbean, keep those spices on hand, as well.
GODOY: What's the biggest challenge most people face when they're trying to cut down on the meat in their diet?
MCQUIRTER: I think the biggest challenge is thinking about, you know, like, a plate. What is going to replace, you know, that meat? So think about making simple meals that you already are making. And you're just swapping out the protein. You're swapping out an animal-based protein for a meat-based protein. So if you're making a pasta, even if you're making a fajita, a burrito, a wrap, you can use beans and nuts and tofu, edamame, mushrooms. So there's so many wonderful options.
SUMMERS: For more Life Kit, go to npr.org/lifekit.
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