7 Health Benefits of Eating Less Meat

Meat is delicious and can be nutritious as well, but there are benefits to eating less of it

Eating less meat, or none at all, can lead to certain health and financial benefits. (NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock)

You may have been eating meat every meal of your life, but there are some financial and medical problems that can be influenced—or even caused—by this constant consumption of meat. Cutting back on eating animals like cows, pigs, and chickens has benefits you may have never thought of. Though some people choose to eliminate meat from their diet completely, even simply reducing how much meat you consume is an opportunity to save some money and become healthier. Here are seven benefits of eating less meat.

1. Save Money

Meat has consistently been one of the most expensive kinds of food you can purchase, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health that examined data from the 17th century through the 21st century.

Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally cheaper and end up providing more nutritional value since they are often less processed than meats like beef, pork, and poultry.

For example, the USDA reports that the average cost of beef is around $7.00 per pound, while the average cost of a nonmeat product such as potatoes is about $0.77 per pound. Since the average person living in the United States consumes 144 pounds of meat annually, that’s $1,008 spent just on this one type of grocery item. For a family of four, this amount would be closer to $4,000. Reducing how much meat you buy could keep most of that money in your pocket to be used for things like vacations, paying down debt, or investing.

2. Lose Weight

Obesity plagues most developed countries around the world. Meat is a major contributor to that, especially processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, and bologna. Meanwhile, people who don’t eat meat have a BMI just over 3 points lower than omnivores (people who eat meat in addition to plants). This translates into about an 11 percent reduction in body fat. For someone who weighs 300 pounds, that means as much as 33 pounds lost without doing any extra exercise, taking extra medications, or undergoing any surgical procedures. The benefits are available by simply reducing or eliminating the amount of meat normally consumed.

3. Reduce Cancer Risk

While there are many factors that come into play regarding when someone will develop cancer (genetics, lifestyle, drug use, occupational hazards, and so on), processed meats are specifically noted by the American Cancer Society to be carcinogenic. If you believe your family history or other factors may put you at increased risk for developing cancer, reducing how much processed meat you eat could help lower your risk.

4. Lower Blood Pressure

People who consume meat have a higher risk of developing hypertension. This means their blood pressure is regularly well above the healthy range. The risk for people who eat meat is up to 14 percent higher than the risk for vegetarians and vegans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Hypertension can lead to heart disease and stroke if left untreated. Ratcheting down how much meat you eat could decrease your risk of developing this condition.

5. Lower Blood Sugar

Hand in hand with the obesity epidemic goes Type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 35 million people in the United States have Type 2 diabetes. This means they’ve developed the condition due mainly to lifestyle choices, including diet. People who refrain from eating meat are a whopping 74 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

6. Sleep Better

Higher quality sleep means being able to sleep for less time with fewer disturbances (snoring, waking, etc.), but having more energy and alertness when you wake up to start your day. Studies have shown that habitual meat consumption is linked to getting less sleep and having lower-quality sleep that doesn’t recharge your body well.

7. Increase Fertility

Because of the benefits mentioned above, reducing your meat intake can mean that your body functions better overall. This includes improved fertility in females. A woman’s ovaries and womb function better when she reduces her meat intake, according to a study published by Frontiers in Public Health. If you or a loved one have been attempting to get pregnant, working with a physician to review and adjust how much meat you eat could prove beneficial.

Less Meat, More Health

Cutting down on your meat intake doesn’t have to be drastic. You could start by designating one day per week as a “no meat” day. Pay attention to how the lack of meat affects you on those days (no need for a nap, better memory, elevated mood, spending less money on food, and so on). It may feel like a big change at first, but that discomfort is a small price to pay for an overall healthier life.