Now you should know everything about dairy and eggs from my previous articles. It is time to focus on meat. A lot of people start their journey with leaving meat out of their diet, so basically they go vegetarian (and that’s what I did too!), but knowing what I know now, I would leave meat for the last. In this article, you will learn why you should get rid of it and how to replace meat.
Are you ready to be shocked? Be prepared because what is coming next will be brutal, outrageous, sad, unfair and disgraceful. I will be furious and I cry every time when I see it… Even though I know the truth already.
If you decided to say no to meat, feel free to skip this part, and scroll down to the meat replacement ideas. But if you are hesitating or you still think eating meat is a good idea, you should read this!
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission. Keep in mind that I only recommend products because I love them and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. You will buy the product(s) on the same price, and the decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Disclosure 2: I am no doctor or dietitian, and these are my own experiences and all the information I share with you can be found in the book: How not to die, or in The Complete Guide to Even More Vegan Food Substitutions, if not, I link the source.
Where is meat coming from?
You may think now, what a silly question is this? Everybody knows the answer. But we seem to forget about it sometimes. Or we try to find bullshit reasons to justify our choices. Like animals are here to eat, they should thank us to be alive. Or eating animals is part of our culture and tradition. People are more important, animals don’t feel pain like people do, etc…
But the worst of all of them is the reason “I like how it tastes”.
It shouldn’t be a reason to eat a living, breathing and unique creature, who wants to stay alive just like people do.
But who am I to judge? I thought the same thing, I loved meat and I was proud of it. Shame, no shame. But now I see everything differently and I couldn’t go back to my old self, no one can make me.
Oh, it is hard to talk about this, what is really going on, how the animals end up on your plate, it is so terrible and a lot of people just don’t want to know the truth. Because it hurts…
Once when I was working in the restaurant a guest asked me how the mussels are made. She was wondering if they are dead before boiling or not. I couldn’t tell her the answer, but does it really matter? They have to die anyway because you want to eat them. Death is death. There is no humanity in death.
What’s behind the scenes?
Do you know what is going on at livestock farms or slaughterhouses? Do you know how they treat animals? How much do animals suffer not just when they die but during their life just because people want their meat?
In most of the places, animals don’t have much space, and they try to hurt each other. Therefore their horns or beaks are cut off, and their teeth pulled out. They have a lot of diseases, they are dirty and sometimes they eat each other. These are horrendous conditions and you can hardly call it life animals should be thankful for.
And think about it, you eat these animals if you eat their meat. When you eat meat, you eat the disease these animals had, you eat their hormones, the antibiotics they were fed with, you eat pain, fear and death.
No wonder if you feel sick, depressed, anxious or frustrated. Eating dead flesh and animal parts will affect your health as much as your mental state and your soul.
Watch this documentary and you will feel completely different about meat and animals.
What’s wrong with eating meat?
But we need meat to stay alive, be strong and be healthy, right?
Humans always have been eating meat, it’s a tradition, it is completely normal, so why stop now?
First of all, it is not normal to torture, kill and eat another living being to be our food. Or pay someone to do that. It is wrong, immoral and cruel.
Second, we don’t need meat to stay alive. Maybe it is hard to believe because you have always been told the opposite of that.
But I am (and not just me, but a lot of us, vegans) the living example that you can exist without eating our companions, with whom we share this Earth…
I am still here, I am healthier, stronger and more active than ever. I have more energy, I am not that tired I used to be before. And all of this without eating meat or any animal products!
How is this possible? I am about to tell you, but first, let’s see why eating meat is bad for you.
The sideeffects of eating meat:
- the risk of heart disease increases,
- you can have a stroke easier,
- it can contribute to developing diabetes,
- the telomeres become shorter, which means you get old faster,
- it can cause inflammation in your system,
- the steam of the burning meat can cause lung cancer,
- eating processed meat can increase the risk of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease),
The meat contains the type of iron (the so-called “heme” iron) that is especially associated with colorectal cancer.
From the book ‘How not to Die‘
If you have too much iron in your system, you increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. Although your bowels try to reduce the iron absorption, it only works in the case of non-heme iron, which can be found in plants.
So the iron (heme iron) from animals can be dangerous and can increase the risk of developing diabetes.
The WHO said processed meat can cause cancer and it is as bad as cigarette, asbestos or plutonium.
Experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal #cancer by 18%
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 26, 2015
- the consumption of all animal fat (including meat) is significantly linked to the risk of pancreatic cancer
Can chicken cause cancer?
Yes, it can, but only if you eat it. 😀 There was a study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, EPIC), in which, over a decade, 477 thousand people were tracked and observed.
The researchers found a 72% increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer among those who ate 5 dkg chicken every day. And it’s not much meat – about a quarter of a chicken breast.
So if you think eating chicken or white meat is healthier, forget about it now! Stop eating meat if you don’t want to die from cancer.
Red meat is closely related to oesophageal cancer, while poultry meat consumption is associated with cancer at the border of the stomach and oesophagus.
Other sideeffects of eating meat:
- consuming meat and animal fat can cause reflux and esophagitis
After 5 minutes eating the animal fat, the closure muscle on the upper part of the stomach relaxes, allowing the acids to return to the oesophagus.
Have you ever experienced this acid in your oesophagus after eating meat or eggs? I remember I have, I just didn’t know why did it happen. Or did you have heartburn? Don’t take medicine, eat healthily!
Another problem with eating meat is that it is sometimes infected. I am sure you have heard about mad cow disease or swine flu (H1N1).
A lot of sicknesses and epidemics are caused by animals. Just a few examples:
- tuberculosis from goats,
- measles and smallpox from cattle,
- whooping cough from pigs,
- typhus from chickens,
- influenza from ducks,
- cold from horses.
Life would be a lot easier without these diseases, right? But the damage is done, the only thing you can do is stop eating animals and start eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains. If you follow a whole food plant-based diet you will be more resistant against flu and diseases.
Pathogens and bacteria in meat
Salmonella and chicken are closely linked, and you can never know that the chicken is infected or not. I remember when I used to eat chicken I was always worried about Salmonella. I was so careful to roast the chicken properly in order to avoid Salmonella infection. But I didn’t know what I know now.
It is not enough to fry the chicken, the Salmonella and other bacterias can be found on the surfaces that contacted with the chicken, on the cutting board, on the fridge handle, on the oven handle and on the kitchen tools.
There was an interesting study about it, and the results showed that no matter what you do, how hard you try to clean after cooking/baking, the pathogens are still there in your kitchen and the chicken you eat.
After 10 days consuming the infected chicken, the good bacteria in the gut have succeeded to get rid of the bad ones. But the problem is most of the people not only eats chicken every 10 days rather more often.
Not just chicken can be infected but pigs, cows and turkeys too. There are so-called C. difficile bacteria, which are very dangerous and survive really well. You can grill the chicken for 2 hours and the bacteria still lives, no wonder they call it “super pathogen”.
How to Replace Meat + The Best Protein Sources
I am glad that you made it so far. You are probably curious how can you replace meat, and how can you get enough protein on a vegan diet.
Being vegan means you can’t eat animal products (so no meat, egg or dairy). This guide is more than a nutritional recommendation for vegetarians, it is specifically for vegans.
A lot of people think meat is the primary source of protein like if it was the ultimate solution and nothing can be as good as meat.
I am here to tell you, that is not true. Plants are more awesome than meat!
Why eat more plants?
If you read my previous articles about eggs and dairy, you have already seen how nutritious plants are. They are perfect to replace meat with all the benefits and no disadvantages.
Plants can cure and prevent diseases and you will feel the benefits after 2 weeks of following a whole food plant-based diet.
Is chicken the unhealthiest?
But let’s see an example. Take 100 g of chicken breast. Cook it without the skin. It will be 173 kcal.
Pros:
- 12,4 mg B3,
- 0,6 mg B6,
- 0,3 mg B12,
- 24,4 nanogramm Selenium,
- 216 mg Phosphorus,
- 1,2 mg Zinc,
- 30,9 g protein
Cons:
- 1,3 g saturated fat,
- 0,1 g trans-fat,
- 85 mg cholesterol,
- no carbs,
- no fibre,
- 144% increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer,
- it is full of salt (and Sodium), they add water and salt injections to the chicken to make it bigger and heavier (because you pay for its weight),
- high AGE level (AGEs are toxins responsible for accelerating the ageing process, resulting in stiffness, oxidative stress and inflammation),
- it can cause dementia and Alzheimer,
- weekly consumption of chicken or fish can triple the risk of developing colon cancer,
- Salmonella and other bacterias,
- contaminated with faeces (there was a survey by the US Food and Drug Administration that showed 90% of the chickens in stores were contaminated),
- chicken is fattening, you can gain weight more easily
Should I continue? And not just chicken is that dangerous and unhealthy, but all the other meat and fish.
Is fish healthier?
Before you would think that eating fish is okay, let me tell you something. Fish feel pain too, they are also animals just like chickens, pigs or cows. You won’t do anything well if you eat fish and seafood.
Another thing about fish, they contain a lot of mercury, the oceans are contaminated so the fish as well. And if it still not enough,
eat some tuna and within three hours the kidney filtering rate goes up with 36%.
From the book ‘How not to die’
Why is that bad? Because your kidney functions can deteriorate, which can lead to kidney failure.
Tuna can contribute to kidney stone formation too, so I suggest you leave out fish from your diet.
Now let’s see what plants can give us. Earlier I shared this chart with you, but I will share again.
The Best Protein Sources
Always the protein, right? When I started to eat vegan everybody was obsessed with my protein intake. Before that, they didn’t care…
The truth is, you don’t need that much protein. Have you ever heard about someone who died from protein deficiency? People who eat meat, dairy and eggs, in fact, get too much protein, which is harmful.
If you eat too much animal protein, your kidneys switch to hyperfiltration mode, which is bad because it can lead to deterioration of renal function.
Another problem animal protein can cause is producing more acid, which is also bad for your kidneys and leads to reflux.
So be careful with animal protein! The best thing you can do is to leave out of your diet.
How to get enough protein from plants?
Okay, maybe you can’t replace 100 g of chicken with 100 g of pumpkin seeds to get the same amount of protein, because it won’t fill you up and pumpkin seeds contain a lot of calories (but they are high in fibre, B3, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus and Zinc).
What you can do is mix these healthy and nutritious plants.
For example here is a vegan dinner recipe for you (one serving):
- 1 cup of quinoa,
- a handful of arugula (ca. 1 cup),
- 4 baby plum tomatoes,
- 20 g yellow bell pepper,
- 1/4 cup kidney beans,
- 1/4 cup chickpeas,
- 3 tablespoons of peanut butter sauce (it is a mix of peanut butter, water, sriracha and soy sauce),
- nuts & seeds (optional)
Nutritional information:
- energy: 625 kcal,
- targets: 49% (it means for me this single meal contains the half of the minerals, vitamins and everything I need a day),
- protein: 25,6 g
- fibre: 53%,
- Vitamin C: 41 mg (55%),
- B3: 6,1 mg (44%),
- B6: 0,6 mg (43%),
- Folate: 167,2 nanogramm (42%),
- Vitamin E: 4,6 mg (31%),
- Vitamin K: 27,8 nanogramm (31%),
- B2: 0,3 mg (31%),
- B1: 0,3 mg (28%),
- Vitamin A: 657,7 IU (28%),
- Manganese: 2,7 mg (149%),
- Copper: 0,9 mg (91%),
- Phosphorus: 578,2 mg (83%),
- Magnesium: 247,7 mg (80%),
- Zinc: 4,1 mg (51%),
- Iron: 5,4 mg (30%),
- Omega-3: 25%
- Potassium: 19%,
- Selenium: 17%,
- Calcium: 13%
I think it is quite a good and long list and this is just one meal. You can make or use tahini instead of peanut butter sauce, that’s also delicious, and a good protein source.
Now I want to share with you the best protein sources, which can be used to replace meat. They can look like meat or even taste like that. So you call still eat vegan gyros, hamburger or even bacon.
1. Seitan
What is seitan exactly? Seitan is wheat gluten, basically pure protein and nothing else. Obviously, it is made from gluten, so if you are allergic this is not for you. But it is free from soy.
100 g seitan contains 22,1 g protein, 122 kcal and 2 g fiber.
The best thing about seitan that you can make your own easily at home, and you can make anything from it to replace meat. Here are some variations:
BBQ Vegan Ribs with Sticky Tamarind BBQ Sauce
I love BBQ Sauce, so I think I would love this too. It’s so impressing what can you make from a few plants. Don’t say they are boring! 😀
At first sight, it really looks like meat, doesn’t it? But fortunately, it’s not! It is made from seitan (wheat gluten) and I think this is one of the best ways to replace meat. What do you think?
This easy vegan chicken needs only 5 main ingredients and I am sure it tastes delicious! Give it a go!
2. Tofu
Hm, I am wondering which one do I like more, tofu or seitan. Both are delicious and you can make them various ways.
100 g tofu contains 12,6 g protein, 118 kcal and 1,9 fibre, and some tofus are fortified with Calcium.
You can make a lot of things from tofu, and it is not just used to replace meat, as you can see in my article about vegan “egg” meals.
Here are some of my favourite tofu meals:
3. Tempeh
Tempeh is such a good choice when do you want to replace meat! Maybe it doesn’t really look like meat, but I can live with that. The point is, it is damn delicious and healthy at the same time! 🙂
What is tempeh? It is a traditional Indonesian soy product, made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form.
100 g tempeh contains 192 kcal, 20,3 g protein, 3,7 g fibre and a lot of vitamins and minerals like B2, B3, B6, Manganese, Copper, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Zinc and Omega-3.
And you can eat them as vegan “bacon”. 😉
4. Meat substitutes made from soy
I think soy is a huge part of people’s diet, even if they don’t think so. Soy is in almost everything, from chocolates to processed meat and other products.
But soy can be a good substitute on its own to replace meat. Now I will share with you my favourite soy food I use when I want to replace meat.
5. Bean burgers
Oh, I love bean burgers! You know this if you follow me on instagram. 😀 If you think you will miss hamburgers made from beef, try a bean burger! Of course, don’t expect the same experience, but they taste so darn good!
Just look at this, it was so easy to make and it tasted delicious. 🙂
The recipe can be found on instagram, just click on the image. 😉
But there are tons of other recipes on the internet, so you won’t be in trouble finding a good one. 🙂
Why are beans so good? They are rich in fibre and minerals and they should be an indispensable part of your diet.
6. Falafels
If you haven’t tried falafel yet, you are missing out! Falafel with hummus is one of my favourite foods! They are so so good.
Falafels are made from chickpeas, which you know how healthy they are from my article about egg substitutes. And falafels are easy to make, but you can buy them from almost any store.
This is such a good and healthy meal and you don’t need meat to feel full.
7. Vegan sausage/hot dog
Do you like hot dog? You can still have it, even IKEA makes vegan hot dogs and I think they taste better than the original. But that’s my opinion, go ahead and try it yourself! They are cheap too. 😉
As always, you can make your own.
Here is a vegan sausage recipe for you.
You can use wheat gluten to replace meat and make sausages. This recipe is super easy and quick, I think I will try it soon!
How to cook vegan?
Here are some useful books, which can help you with your transition to a vegan diet and find awesome recipes to replace meat.
- 15 Minute Vegan: Fast, modern vegan cooking
- Vegan on the Go: Fast, Easy, Affordable―Anytime, Anywhere
- Vegan Cookbook for Beginners
- How To Go Vegan: The why, the how, and everything you need to make going vegan easy
- What Vegans Eat: A cookbook for everyone with over 100 delicious recipes
Positive effects of following a plant-based diet
There are a lot of health and mental benefits of being vegan, and I already wrote an article about it. You can find it here. And there are not just health benefits but environmental and economical.
In brief, if you stop eating animal products and start eating more fruits and vegetables, you can:
- cure your body of a lot of diseases,
- have pure skin (no more acne!),
- lose weight,
- prevent future illnesses,
- slow down ageing,
- have more energy,
- feel a lot happier and balanced,
- get rid of the pain.
In overall, you will feel a lot better, especially if you feel bad now.
What You Eat and Do Matters
I know that a lot of us wants to live a convenient life, we want to do whatever we want without facing the consequences… But our choices always have consequences and we should deal with them.
If you are to busy living your life and you don’t care about your health, you will hurt yourself. If you say your health is not that important to deal with it, you basically say no to life.
Not mentioning the issue of the environment. We should do something about protecting our Planet immediately! Humanity is on a wrong path and we are driving to our death at high speed.
Photo by Simon Matzinger on Unsplash
20 more years and there will be about 9 billion people on the Earth, and the Earth won’t be able to feed us, there will be no space to grow food for the animals that people eat. Eating animals is not sustainable any more, it just destroys our planet!
Before you would think I am judging you, I want to say that I am not, and I don’t want you to feel bad, what I would like to stop for a second and think. Think about your future, your children’s future and their children’s future.
Even if you just think about the near future, you can see where this is going, what are people doing. We should change our bad habits if we want to save the World.
Switch to a plant-based diet today! If you think you doesn’t matter, you are wrong, every person matters. So let’s start the change. 🙂
You can find my vegan guide here. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Love you always,
Suzie
Hello, I am Suzie the face behind Suzinpsire. I am here to share my passion for gastronomy, vegan lifestyle and travel. I believe that if you want something in life you should give something first. This is why I blog. 🙂
