Substitute

How often do you cook with or eat meals with meat? In 2007 a report found that these are the amounts of meat the average American consumes each year:

Chicken: 84.9 pounds
Beef: 63.5 pounds
Pork: 48.2 pounds
Turkey: 17.5 pounds
Lamb and Mutton: 1 pound

It's not hard to believe that the US is the number 1 consumer of meat in the world. Not only are we the largest consumer of meat but meat production has increased by 500% since 1950. Since 1961, we have almost doubled the amount of meat we consume each year. Now, don't take this the wrong way because I enjoy meat; but, we consume too much meat.  The portion of meat we should be eating is 3 oz but in reality we are eating much bigger portions of meat than that. Most meals we make or eat at a restaurant, the meat is the main dish with tiny sides of a starch or vegetable. Research & studies have shown that Americans eat way more meat than fruits or vegetables. In fact, only a small percentage of people actually eat the suggested amount of fruits & vegetables each day. So, you might be asking yourself, "What's your point?' My point is that if we reduce the amount of meat we eat at each meal, we could not only save money but we could also become healthier.

Meat can be expensive, and if you are using it as your main entree it can cost even more.  When buying meat, I almost always buy it on sale. If there is a really good sale, I buy multiple packages and freeze them. I've read books and articles that show what a good price is for different cuts & types of meats. So, before going to the store, I set target prices for the meats I buy. If it's not within my target price, I don't buy it. I will shop around or wait for a sale. If I were to use meat--beef, chicken, poultry--in every meal, everyday I would be spending a lot of money. Instead of using meat in every meal, I have begun to substitute.  There are several other choices for cooking that do not involve meat. Here are some examples:

-Beans--black, pinto, letil
-Rice
-Pasta
-Tuna
-Eggs

Now, I am aware that tuna is a type of meat, but it is usually much cheaper than other meats. Most of these other options have a lot of protein in them which will make you full.  If you do use meat often, try using recipes that call for smaller amounts of meat, like stir-fry. You can also substitute meat meals by insterting the following:

-Nacho night
-Soup & salad night
-Cereal night
-Baked potato night
-Pancake/Breakfast night

These are all meals that will save you money and usually time as well. Some of these might not be "kid friendly" but you can adjust accordingly to what your family prefers.

Sources:
 -Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), FAOSTAT on-line statistical service (FAO, Rome, 2004). Available online at: http://apps.fao.org.
-http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1495
-National Turkey Federation: http://www.eatturkey.com / http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-11-14-3913750537_x.htm