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My family are all big meat eaters. We are country people who like to BBQ.

A recent article on BBC news says that

adults are advised to consume on average no more than 70g

of red meat per day.

I am probably eating around 200g of meat per day (this can be chicken, fish, pork or red meat). Regardless of the type of meat I am guessing this is too much.

However if I cut back on meat I get really hungry about half an hour after eating, which is a temptation to start eating snack foods.

What can you suggest I can use in replacement of meat in my diet that will let me feel full and also won't have me feeling hungry again after 30 minutes.

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closed as off topic by Greg Sep 12 '12 at 21:06


Note: I usually eat rice with most main meals. –  xiaohouzi79 Mar 1 '11 at 23:19
Don't pay too much attention to that article. Eat your red meat! I don't know much about UK government agencies, but if they're anything like the USDA, their recommendations are biased and rarely backed-up by (good) science. Red meat - steak, in particular - has a lot of nutrition in it. –  Greg Mar 1 '11 at 23:23
@Greg - I thought most gov agencies where about encouraging us to eat more of the product e.g. more meat. I was surprised that in this case they were asking us to eat less. –  xiaohouzi79 Mar 1 '11 at 23:30
@xiaohouzi79 - Yeah, I guess the british meat industry hasn't been paying their lobbyists! –  Greg Mar 1 '11 at 23:39

4 Answers 4

up vote 2 down vote accepted

I also agree with what was said about that article not being serious or backed-up by science, but I just want to add that if you are feeling hungry just from cutting down on the meat, you might also want to watch the other aspects of your diet. Energy should come from carbs and/or fat, make sure you are getting enough of that as well. You don't want to be burning protein for energy.

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There have been many studies to see if a certain intake of red meat causes a deterioration in overall health. "Red and processed meat intakes were assoc. with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality." Though correlation does not imply causation, I don't think it hurts to cut back esp processed meat. –  Rhea Mar 24 '11 at 14:46
The key word here is processed meat. There is a world of difference between grass fed and corn fed red meat. Animals that eat what they were meant to eat don't have as many harmful byproducts as animals fed things outside their normal diet. –  Berin Loritsch Jun 1 '11 at 14:02

For many people, "full" feeling is usually triggered by fat rather than by the mechanical stuffing of the stomach. Red meats tend to be higher in fats than poultry and fish.

adults are advised to consume on average no more than 70g of red meat per day.

Poultry and fish are not red meat. Pork, sheep and beef are the most common red meats that you will encounter in a modern western diet. If you are concerned about getting enough protein, one could add tofu or tempeh to one's diet, although tofu can be high in fat.

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+1 for clarifying that poultry and fish are not red meat –  Rhea Mar 24 '11 at 14:34
+1 Fat helps you feel full - if you are hungry 30 minutes after eating, something was missing from your meal! –  J. Winchester Mar 25 '11 at 5:13
I almost asked a question until I saw this answer. For a long time, I was wondering why meat filled me up so much better than carbs even when I switched to eating wheat pasta and brown rice. –  Matt Chan Mar 27 '11 at 22:35

Chicken and Fish! Especially fish. Fish contain great deal of "good" fat and lots of protein. When you get hungry snack on nuts, protein shake, or protein bar. Lots of veggie. If you need rice, eat brown rice. I know it taste like plastic, but the best way is to put some scrushed seaweed seasoning on top (not too much). It'll make it taste better.

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Good advice, although I would caution you on the protein bars and protein shakes. They typically contain a lot of additional sugar and/or fat. Not necessarily a bad thing, but if you find yourself drinking/eating a lot of them, it won't be as healthy as it seems. I would recommend the nuts, fruits, and veggie snacks first. –  JasCav Mar 2 '11 at 16:11
@JasCav absolutely, ALOT of protein bars out there are full of sugar checkout this post fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/270/… –  kjy112 Mar 2 '11 at 16:13

There have been findings that suggest we cut back on red and processed meat consumption as they are being linked to reduction of life span and risks to overall health. Though correlation does not imply causation, I don't think it hurts to cut back esp processed meat. As a fellow die-hard carnivore, I have been substituting lean ground turkey (white meat) in place of ground beef in chilli and burger patties.

Seafood and poultry are not red meat so you are not intaking as much red meat as you think.

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