Diet tips & tricks: How to decrease meat intake & improve eating habits

If you're looking to lose weight or simply opt for healthier choices, you might find yourself veering away from red meat or meat in general, for good reasons. Women's Health Magazine reports that according to Dr. Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of Nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont, "Fatty red meats and many processed meats are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases risk of coronary heart disease."

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that consuming large amounts of meat on a regular basis increases the risk for death by cardiovascular disease. Similarly, a study published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that women who consumed the most red and processed meat were at higher risk for breast cancer.

More than health effects, moving to increase vegetable intake and lower meat consumption is actually better for the environment. According to Women's Health Magazine, a 2006 U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization report showed that raising cattle for beef and milk takes up vast amounts of scarce resources and emits greenhouse gases - not so great for the environment.

Now if you want to slowly transition into eating more vegetables, you have to begin by integrating them into meals and lessening meat ingredients. According to Buzzfeed, if you want to extend ground beef (or if you're saving money and have several mouths to feed), extend your dish by adding rice and beans. The flavor of the meat will still be there to satisfy your taste buds.

If you're making pasta with meat, add in chopped mushrooms to the sauce. It will not only extend your meat, but also add texture and flavor.

If you're worried that you're not getting enough protein however, fear not. Protein can be found in various other food alternatives. Eggs provide as much as 6 grams of protein, which you can have almost any time of the day, from breakfast to snack time or post-workout meals. There are endless recipes to create from eggs, and you can work your favorite veggies into a tasty omelette.

Speaking of vegetables, Buzzfeed recommends sticking them into kabobs in between chunks of meat. That way, you still get the goodness of grilled meats, but in lesser amounts, and with more vegetables. You can also extend your stir-fried vegetables by tossing in tofu, which according to BBC Good Food, contains magnesium, copper, zinc, vitamin B1, iron, calcium and other micro-nutrients.

The Mayo Clinic also recommends going meatless for one to two days a week, or you can even start by going meatless one to two meals or dinners in a week, for those who can't stand not eating meat so often yet. They recommend substituting meat with beans and legumes (which are also high in protein), vegetarian refried beans (which are perfect for tacos and burritos), and as mentioned earlier, tofu. You can also move towards seafood such as fish and shrimp, which are also healthy options.