You can just smell them on the grill: those juicy steaks, mouth-watering hamburgers, plump hot dogs.
They are delicious, but they’re also potentially deadly.
Studies show that diets plentiful in red and processed meats are packed with high saturated fats and can lead to diabetes, heart disease or cancer.
But it’s not just you that you are hurting by eating meat as pointed out by a recent article in TIME.
If people switched from beef, they could decrease global greenhouse gases by 25 percent, according to World Economic Forum report. Red meat production is harsh on the environment because raising cattle takes a lot of land and emits greenhouse gases.
The report also claims protein-rich plants could also reduce diet-related death by five percent in wealthy countries like the US.
Americans, according to a report in Lancet, eat more than six times the recommended amount of red meat. They should reduce consumption to little meat or none.
Some startups are experimenting with animal cells to create lab food products which are genetically identical to beef, pork and fish. Many say those are still only slightly healthier or sustainable. These cultured meats haven’t been approved by the FDA.
However, protein-packed plant diets yield lower disease rates, offer healthy fats and high fiber and micronutrients.
Welcome to a plate of beans, nuts, peas, and algae. Here are five ways to replace those beef cravings:
Spirulina, a blue-green algae, has a similar health makeup to eggs. It reduces greenhouse gases and deforestation. You can use algae in smoothies, health bars and juices.
Bug out. Insects, like crickets or grasshoppers, are a good high protein substitute. Raising bugs is more sustainable, uses less land and water and emits fewer greenhouse gases. They are often used in chocolate and energy bars.
Beans are a bargain. They are plentiful in iron, potassium, fiber, amino acids and protein. A 2017 paper in Climatic Change claims the US could reduce 74 percent of its greenhouse gases by 2020 if Americans ate beans instead of beef. They are less expensive and take less energy to reproduce and harvest.
Meat Mimics are the perfect replacement for chomp food. If you want the feel of meat, then soy-based tofu is your choice. Tofu has nearly 10 grams of protein per three ounce serving, fiber and healthy fats. Pea protein is another alternative found in many veggie burgers. It cooks, tastes and looks like beef too.