This month Cancer Research U.K. is challenging people to go vegetarian or vegan for 30 days to help raise money as part of the Veg Pledge. Now, whether you’ve decided to take part in the Veg Pledge or not, you will probably be aware that there is a growing school of thought that we should all be limiting our intake of meat.

Firstly, cutting back on meat is beneficial for our health. It can help to lower cholesterol levels, as well as reducing the risk of diseases, including heart disease and bowel cancer.

Secondly, by reducing the meat we eat, we’d all be doing a little bit more for the planet. This article from the Guardian, “Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth“, is well worth a read.

In the Markham household, while not full vegetarians, we have certainly taken steps to reduce the meat we eat. We have steered more towards plant-based meals, and we eat very few processed foods. I also think that being mindful of where we source our food from is essential. Buying organic has been a revelation for me. Getting a veg bag from Tuppenny Barn is the highlight of the food shopping week here, the flavours of the produce are so delicious compared to those you get when you buy in the supermarket. I have decided, I rather enjoy scrubbing the mud off my carrots, rather than buying them in a perfect sanitised form wrapped in plastic!

If you’re thinking about reducing your meat intake, here are a few tips that I have found useful.

• I didn’t go cold turkey (excuse the pun), as like any significant dietary change you rarely stick to the plan if you feel like you are being deprived of something.
• Changing the ratio on your plate can help. I tend to make the meat part the smallest and make the vegetable or grains the stars of the show. Sometimes I use meat only as a condiment, to sprinkle on top of other main dishes.
• Eating out can be a bit of a challenge, but many restaurants now include vegetarian and vegan dishes on their menus. The Happy Cow app lists all the local eateries serving vegan and vegetarian options. I have found this really handy when out and about.
• Cutting down on meat at the same time as a friend helps too. You can bounce recipe ideas off each other, and it helps when the craving for a bacon sandwich gets too much!
• Check out these two websites for more ideas… The Vegan Society and The Vegetarian Society.

At Frog Hollow all of our healthy snacks and superfood cakes are suitable for vegetarians, as well as being gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. We’ve recently added some brand new raw cookies to our online shop. There are two flavours, Cherry Bakewell and Gingerbread. with eight cookies in a (home compostable) PLA bag… One for each day of the week, and one extra for a day when you feel like sharing! Shop HERE.