How often do you eat meat and fish?

[Lookingforwardtothesummer]

I really reduced my meat consumption a few years ago, was having fish maybe twice a week. Meat just once or twice a year.

Over the last year however, I've started eating more meat as part of plan to try to raise ferritin which is always low.

I feel like I notice more energy the day after I've had red meat. I'd say I have it once a week now, more when I am eating out a lot as DP and I have had to travel quite a bit recently and ate out a lot then.

This weekend I had salmon on Saturday and steak on Sunday and I honestly feel like it's boosted my energy! They are very expensive though and we will have veggie meals now for the next few nights, but will probably eat out again as away later this week.

In general, trying to reduce consumption of meat for environmental reasons is a good thing I know, so I do feel a little guilty that now I'm adding more meat to my diet, it's like I'm going backwards

How much meat do you eat regularly? Do you feel better including it in your diet?

I have low iron and really notice the difference when I have red meat even once a week. I don’t eat any processed meats though like ham or bacon.

Not since I was a child. I'm mid 50's now.

Lately I've been making vegetarian or vegan meals two or maybe three times a week. I like cooking and was looking for different things to do rather than looking for something healthy. I hate the idea of food as a health penance or the idea that some foodstuffs are healthy or not - like the myth we all need meat. We don't. We need protein which is obviously easier to come by with meat.

I found The Guardian - where else? - and started trying things. Meera Sodha is brilliant. Here's one I liked but there are loads if you follow the links at the end of each recipe. Asian and north African things suit my taste mostly.

www.theguardian.com/food/2020/feb/08/meera-sodha-vegan-recipe-rose-harissa-chickpea-stew-burnt-chard . I do spinach instead of chard btw because chard tastes like blood to me.

I haven't noticed any dip in energy from when I don't eat meat because I eat pulses. I like them. It's not a punishment.

I like meat and wouldn't give it up but it's a fallacy that you need it. Keeping an eye on things has helped me eat more oily fish which doctors keep telling you to do for your heart. We eat three servings of oily fish a week - mackerel and salmon mostly - and really enjoy them.

Tonight is this - the second one. The first one is good too. I've used Greek yogurt instead of cream and put some extra frozen spinach in it because we like it. It's amazing how nice it is and how bloody cheap.

www.theguardian.com/food/2023/feb/27/about-1-pound-a-portion-one-pan-chickpea-curry-recipes-rukmini-iyer

Bloody dead flesh, I doubt many people are eating live flesh 😂

Probably at least 5 days a week. I do like veg substitutes like tofu. But I also suffer from low iron and I really feel listless if I'm on a veggie diet for so long.

I usually cook one meal with red meat per week, but I batch cook so it's for more than one night. Burgers would be only two nights, most other things three nights, chilli could be four. Average of 500g between two of us per week, so about 2.5 portions. Other nights are chicken/fish/veggie.

We've eaten less meat in the past for financial reasons, bulking out meals with pulses, and both ended up with a iron deficiency and frequent illnesses from being run down. I would be perfectly happy eating dhal and veggie curry but it seems our bodies don't cope well on it long term.

Almost daily. Maybe 1 night a week veggie and the rest is high quality meat or fish.

We have been veggie at various times, longest was for a year a few years ago. My DH is very tall and does a lot of exercise. I know there are lots of veggie/vegan marathon runners but it didn’t suit him in terms of energy/nutrition and went back to eating meat.

At least once a day usually. I do eat a lot of veg too, I love veggie soups etc for lunch. We try to eat veggie at least one day a week but doesn’t always work out that way.

For me, yes.

Fish every day for lunch and meat every day for dinner.

Are you lacking iron instead? Lots of iron filled foods if possible

Never. Well, not for over 55 years anyway.

My ferritin was down to 6. I eat meat most days now.

In some form almost every day, though not religiously - I might have the odd veggie day by chance. I like vegetarian meals, but usually something would have meat in it like a ham and cheese sandwich.
I'm very picky about where I buy meat from - high welfare etc. I do find meat helps energy levels, though if I have too much I end up lethargic.
I love seafood - eat that and fish. We have fish probably once a week, but often have something like a crab linguine (tinned crab) and tuna for lunch.

I eat chicken if I eat in a restaurant or I get a KFC, fish if I have fish and chips, so once a month altogether?

I dont notice any energy difference. I use to eat mackerel at home but then read about mercury so put me off, dont know if thats true btw.

The massai seem to do ok on meat and blood.

We have a varied and nutrients packed diet. We eat chicken in many forms a few times a week, red meat in mince & pieces twice a week, fish twice a week, eggs once a week, pulses a few times a few and lots of veggies and fruits. I cook everyday and the only reason I can feed my kids and us this way is because we all eat the same food and I don’t cook different or separate meals.

You can also increase uptake of iron by NOT eating diary with iron-rich food, and drinking orange juice WITH iron-rich food. Supplementing with vit C can also help.

But also it could be a vitamin D deficiency, which are rife in the UK. I'd try supplementing that too.

We are veggie 3 days a week, fish once a week, meat the rest of the time. Lunches/breakfasts almost all veggie apart from a bacon sarnie at the weekend.

Yes, meat and eggs everyday

Im sure vegans are tired all the time but think it’s normal

None at all for over sixty years.

At least once a day, often twice.

we are not begetarian but after doing veganuary one year reduced out meat and fish to 2 meals a week.

we feel that that is a good balance fot health, budget, climate... we are not 'missing out' on anything.

None. Not tired or anaemic.

Meat every day, fish at least once a week. Vege meals very rarely

It's very rare that we have a day without eating meat and we often have it twice a day.
My husband likes fish but I don't and generally only eat prawns, as a starter, a couple of times a week. The majority of our meat is organic, for health and taste reasons. I probably serve smaller portions now because of the cost, although I buy most of our meat from Eversfield who do some quite good special deals.

Why would you need supplements if your diet is ok?