Our top tips for eating healthily on a budget, reducing meat consumption and how food can influence sleep and boost mood
Did you know that what you eat can affect everything from your quality of sleep to your stress levels? Here, our team of experts, including nutritionists and health writers, share their best tips and tricks for choosing foods that will help promote better sleep and mental well-being, plus advice on eating healthily even when on a budget and how to reduce your meat consumption without missing out on any of the nutritional benefits. Remember that any time you consider altering your diet, it’s important to speak to your regular GP or dietician for tailored advice that suits your personal health concerns and goals. For more tips and information about nutrition, visit our online health hub at bbcgoodfood.com/health.
How to eat less meat
Reducing your meat consumption benefits your health and the planet, too – get started with 10 top tips on how to cut back and enjoy a flexitarian, plant-based diet Isabella Keeling, health writer
Why eat less meat?
Whether you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, health or rising food costs, there are plenty of reasons to eat less meat. But, going vegetarian (or vegan) full-time can seem impossible to those who enjoy meaty meals.
It’s not just a love of meat that can make it difficult. Other factors, such as cooking for family members, concerns about nutrition (getting enough protein, for example) and a lack of inspiration when it comes to veggie cooking can make it difficult to change the eating habits of a lifetime.
The good news is that cutting down your meat consumption – rather than cutting it out completely – can still make a big difference to your well-being. Now, many more people are following a flexitarian or ‘casual vegetarian’ diet, which focuses on simply upping the number of plant-based foods in your diet.
Cutting down on meat minimises the amount of saturated fat you consume, which reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Swapping the beef or chicken in your meals with legumes and vegetables could also save you money, by slashing the cost of your weekly food shop. And, it reduces your carbon footprint – so not only is eating less meat better for your health, it’s better for the health of the planet, too.
1 Explore veggie recipes Gone are the days when a meal wasn’t complete without meat. Now, veg, pulses, beans and grains are the star of the show in countless delicious dishes. Whether you’re totally new to the veggie way of eating or you’ve been cutting back on meat
