What to eat if you cut meat from your menu

Are you considering eating vegetarian or vegan or don't you already eat meat? Then do it thoughtfully. Because simply cutting meat from the menu is not wise. You can then become deficient in nutrients. Meat mainly supplies you with protein, iron, vitamin B1 and vitamin B12. So much so that if you omit meat, you have to make sure that you get those nutrients in a different way.

Let me start by: you can eat very healthy without meat. You can also get all the nutrients you need in a different way. In fact, eating meat less often is a healthy habit. If you omit meat now and then, you don't have to worry so much about replacing nutrients properly. What you do not get in one day by omitting the meat, you will get it again the next day if you eat a chicken fillet or meatball. It's a different story when you ban meat from your diet for good. Then it is useful to ensure that there is sufficient protein, iron, vitamin B1 and vitamin B12 in your diet in a different way. Protein and vitamin B1 are the least serious problem. Because it is in so many other foods that you will not easily get a shortage of them. But vitamin B12 and iron is a different story. Only by varying and combining the right products can you still ensure complete nutrition.

Replace the meat properly

In addition to protein and vitamin B1, good meat substitutes also contain iron and vitamin B12. If you replace meat with eggs, you're good. Two eggs provide you with about the same amount of B12 and iron as a piece of meat weighing 100 grams. (see box). If you choose cheese, you will not receive any iron because cheese does not contain iron. Nuts then? An excellent replacement in terms of proteins, B1 and iron. But it does not contain vitamin B12. However, this does not mean that you can never replace your meat with cheese or nuts. If you do get iron or vitamin B12 through a different food in the same meal or at a different time of the day, nothing is wrong.

Vegetarian minced meat, vegetable slice, nuggets or strips, burgers, smoked sausage or cutlets: the shelf with vegetarian meat substitutes is constantly growing. All these vegetable meat substitutes are highlights of food technology: it is not meat, but it does look like meat, and in terms of taste it is also close to meat. However, when it comes to nutritional value, they are not always as complete. Many varieties are enriched with iron and vitamin B12. So that's a bonus. But the B12 content is usually much lower than that of meat. And as far as iron is concerned, it is from a vegetable source, and vegetable iron is less absorbable in your body. It is also worth checking the label for the salt content. Many vegetable meat substitutes contain quite a bit of salt. While meat is naturally unsalted. Table Meat (substitute) Iron per serving Vitamin B12 per serving 100 grams of beef (minced meat) 2 mg 1.9 µg 2 eggs 2.5 mg 1.7 µg 100 grams of cod 0.1 mg 1.5 µg 50 grams nuts (mixed) 1.7 mg 0 60 grams of cheese 0.1 mg 1.3 µg 100 grams of tofu 2.2 mg 0 100 grams of tempeh 2 mg 0 Vegetarian hamburger 100 grams) 2.1 mg 0.27 µg Vega minced meat (100 grams) 2.1 mg 0.27 µg Vega balls (100 grams) 2.1 mg 0.23 µg Vega disk (100 grams) 2.3 mg 0.24 µg Numbers based on the NEVO table

You need the mineral iron for the transport of oxygen through your blood and for the functioning of your immune system. Women need about 15 mg per day, men 9 mg. With an iron deficiency you suffer from fatigue, looking pale and quickly out of breath. Meat contains a relatively large amount of iron, which is also easily absorbed by the body. Fortunately, iron is also found in legumes, green vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Choose wider if you don't eat meat. The disadvantage is that 'vegetable' iron is less easily absorbed by the body. Vitamin C helps improve absorption. Don't you eat meat? Then eat something rich in vitamin C such as vegetables or fruit with every meal so that the vegetable iron from the meal is properly absorbed.