Most people have become conscious about the fat content of red meats and many are choosing low fat meat products. It is without a doubt better to eat smaller portions of meat that larger ones. It may be wise to reduce or eliminate the consumption of meat, but that does not mean you need to switch to being a vegetarian. You still have the option of white meats and poultry. Children can get protein from beans and vegetables and reduce the consumption of fat drastically by doing so thus preventing risk of obesity.

Children who grow up getting their nutrition from vegetables rather than meat have a health advantage. They are less likely to gain weight, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and to some extent cancer as well. Meatless meals also help to keep their bones stronger as the proteins in the meat reduce the calcium in your body.

The environment these days too do not allow for consuming red meats. In the recent years the number of bacteria in meat has risen drastically and health departments are getting very stringent about the production and handling of foods as well as advice on cooking meats well.

How to switch over

It’s not like you are switching over to the dark side. If you serve meat daily reduce it by half to begin with. Introduce white meats, fish and poultry to the table. Try soy burgers and hot dogs. Try different recipes. Make the same dishes as you did with vegetarian options or with white meat and see the difference. Experiment with food in the beginning and your family will begin to appreciate the effort you are putting into introducing this new diet. Please make a gradual shift in diet and supplement the loss of nutrients well. In the beginning your family will complain and their bodies will too. But you will stand to reap long term benefits.