It's clear who eats less meatdoes something good for the environment, climate, animals and yourself. But food is an emotional topic and it is often difficult to criticize other people's eating habits. Nevertheless, there is often a need to draw attention to the effects of our shopping and eating habits, especially in our closest surroundings. Especially when it comes to consuming meat and other animal products.
How can I convince my loved ones to adopt a plant-based diet? What if all the arguments don't work or are even annoying? Then, above all, patience and understanding are needed delicious alternative recipes! Here are some Tips, ways, tricks and incentivesto inspire people close to you that eating less or no meat is a good and tasty way to go.
Avoid meat: start small
Some convinced meat eaters can not be slowed down from one hundred to zero. Habits and traditions often play a role, as does a lack of alternatives. So start slowly. This works very well with many dishes, for example spaghetti bolognese: one part minced meat, one part soy granules. The same applies to Stewswhere the meat content is reduced wonderfully and inconspicuously replace with lenses, among other things lets. If you still want meat, agree on eating it once a week, for example, organically and consciously with enjoyment.
Plant-based meat substitutes – my tips
What else it takes to live a balanced, plant-based diet: Time and desire to try it out! For me personally, every new recipe is a journey of discovery into new ingredients and spices. I love rethinking dishes and replacing them with plant-based ingredients. For example, can Salmon from pickled carrots be manufactured or Scrambled eggs made from natural tofu with kalamanak spice (whose sulfurous smell leads to an egg-like taste).
Black beans and miso paste make delicious meat-like ones Patties. Or the famous Spanish tapas Dates in bacon almonds, where the bacon is replaced by marinated eggplantamong other things, with smoked paprika spice. It's always fun to cook for family and friends and surprise them AND to see enthusiastic faces.
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Ready-made meat substitute products?
If you don't have this time, you can use ready-made meat substitute products. However, it should be noted here that Meat substitutes are not automatically healthy is called. Some products contain numerous additives to achieve the desired structure, taste, color and consistency. It's worth taking a closer look at the ingredients! There are now a variety of offers. The market for meat substitutes is growing rapidly. Encourage your loved ones and give the products a try. From vegetarian lupine-based sausages to soy slices to pea patties, seitan roulades and shiitake mushroom goulash… And at some point you'll definitely be curious and you can try out the recipes yourself and get to know new worlds of taste together.
Completely without meat: delicious vegetable dishes
Whether homemade or purchased, there is often no need for meat substitutes at all. Dishes like Ratatouille, porcini mushroom risotto, bean stew convince all by themselves. It's best to ask about people's favorite dishes. There are definitely some recipes that are already vegetarian or vegan. The first meat-free days are guaranteed to be delicious 😊.
I would also like to encourage the Get to know the variety of legumes and try out new recipes together with your loved ones. Peas, beans, lentils, lupins, chickpeas and other grain legumes should play a greater role in our diet. They are not only ideal for stews or as side dishes, but also offer a wide variety of possible uses. For example Pea drinks that imitate milk, lupine flour for baking bread, bean patties for burgers, roasted lupins as a coffee substitute and much more. Pulses are also of particular importance for environmentally friendly and resource-saving agriculture. They promote soil fertility, contribute to increasing agrobiodiversity and provide food for insects.
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Positive reinforcement
This is a term from pedagogy and psychology. Praise and rewards help more than warnings and punishments. Instead of criticizing meat consumption, emphasize how happy you are when you eat vegetarian food. You can also use the principle if you want to discuss meat abstinence and vegetarianism. Argue with the advantages and variety of tastes, the fun of trying things out and health aspects.
Vegetarians live healthier lives
So now I come to the arguments for conscious and reduced or no meat consumption. Here we can argue on three different levels: With that Animal welfare, the climate and health.
Firstly, it should be the duty of every meat-eating person to comply Origin and husbandry conditions of animal foods in order to then consciously choose products that fairly meet the animal's criteria for space, activity, feeding, exercise, etc. As a rule, this conscious purchase also leads to lower consumption.
Secondly, our diet has significant consequences Impact on the climate. The German consumption of animal foods causes around 70 percent of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions. If average meat consumption in Germany were halved (on average 470 grams per week per person) and replaced with legumes and nuts, 56 million tons of CO2 equivalents could be saved annually and the nutritional area requirement would also decrease by almost three million hectares . That's roughly the size of Brandenburg. Even greater savings are possible with a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Ultimately, eating less or no meat also brings personal benefits. These include a lower risk of cancer and a longer life expectancy, as this study says.
Final tip: Find allies
Things are easier together. Maybe you can convince not only your dad, but also your siblings with him? Maybe not just your partner, but also mutual friends. Start cooking evenings together and enchant those around you with the diversity of plant-based nutrition. Emphasizes fun, pleasure and enjoyment. And now: good luck & Bon appetit!
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