Nutrition Tip #2 - Eat Less Meat

Today in FSHN 120, we learned about the average protein intake of Americans. To my surprise, we discovered that on average, Americans eat more than 2x the amount of protein that they need for a healthy diet, meaning that this excess intake of protein is, in fact, unhealthy.

So what is one to do?

Here's the tip: Treat meat as a flavoring or a special occasion food. You will appreciate it more and it will taste a whole lot better as a treat instead of the main dish in your meal. One easy trick that I do to achieve this is have a large salad for my main course and throw on a few pieces of chicken to get my protein. This way, I have a sufficient amount of protein, but have another food item that is my main course.

Another, possibly more extreme way to achieve this lower amount of protein is to try to eat a flexitarian diet. This diet consists of mostly plants but allows for occasional meats. (As opposed to the paleo diet that required a TON of meat. Nom Nom Nom.) This diet will make it easier to maintain a more healthy level of protein intake.