Trying to Cut Down on Your Carnivore Status?

Whether you're cutting back on meat because you're an animal lover or environmentally conscious, Mark Bittman doesn't care. He does, however, want to be helpful and offers tips in today's New York Times on how you can reduce your meat consumption.

1. Don't be swayed by meat lovers who suggest you won't be getting enough protein. Remember vegetables such as spinach and legumes deliver plenty of protein per serving.

2. Buy less meat. The USDA suggests 4 ounces of meat per person, and it should come as no surprise that American consumers eat much more than that. Bittman says to remember meat is a treat, and is typically used as a condiment in cooking in many cultures.

3. Build your meal around vegetables or grains instead of thinking that meat has to be the centerpiece. He gives examples such as dirty rice and arroz con pollo, in which meat is used to season rice.

4. Shop for more vegetables and learn new ways to cook them. If you stock your refrigerator with vegetables, that is what you'll have to cook with. And again, garnish or flavor with meat.

5. Prepare and store items such as beans and whole grains so that they become as quick to prepare as a cut of meat.

6. Consider ruling out meat at certain meals or times of the day. (Bittman says he goes meatless at breakfast and lunch and then it's "all-bets-are-off" at dinner.)

7. When dining out, consider ordering from the salad, soup and appetizer options, which tend to be less meat-driven, or share a meat dish, since it will likely be larger than you need anyway.

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