40 days of meat fasting - How to succeed!

You love sausages, pork chops and co, but want to fast meat this year? I'll tell you how to keep it up and what you have to watch out for.

There it is again - the dear Lent. Every year, many Germans decide to really go through with the "meat fasting" project this time. But after a short time it becomes clear that it's not that easy.

We are and remain creatures of habit. That's why it's so hard for us to break out of the habitual food cycle.

If giving up meat is on your To Do list between now and Easter, you've got 6 challenging weeks ahead of you. But you can easily do it. These tips will help you!

Why meat fasting is worth it

On average, every German eats 65 kilograms of beef, pork and chicken per year. That's an insane amount, especially when I imagine that's even more than I weigh.

For a long time, meat was considered something special. You only have to look at the menu of our grannies. Those who had little money could eat a roast at most 1x per week.

And that was a good thing. Because the human body is not made to process masses of meat.

For your body

Many typical common diseases such as rheumatism, gout, obesity, high cholesterol, heart attacks and the like can be traced back to our unhealthy diet.

The intestinal flora is also stressed by too much meat, which can lead to digestive problems.

Therefore, it is finally time to eat a balanced diet. Meat fasting is a good first step in the right direction. More vegetables and grains automatically lead to more fiber, which gets our intestines and digestion going.

There is evidence that red meat promotes cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus.

If you want to know exactly, you can take a blood test after the 6-week meat abstinence and see how your values have developed.

This is what happens in your body when you stop eating meat!

For the climate

Because we humans are eating more and more meat, many forests are disappearing. They are cleared in order to be able to grow more animal feed.

It takes 15,400 liters of water to produce 1 kg of beef, up to 9.4 kg of grain. And up to 22 kg of greenhouse gases are emitted in the process. Most of the water goes into growing animal feed.

When it comes to greenhouse gases, beef is way out in front. One reason for this is the methane produced during digestion. At the same time, greenhouse gases are also produced during fertilization, deforestation and many other production steps. If you want to know exactly, take a look at the Albert Schweizer Foundation over.

The mass livestock farming already shows very blatant consequences. Soils are depleted and acidified - one reason is the mass cultivation of the same crops, manure and slurry.

By the way, most of the cultivated soy does not go into tofu, but into livestock farming.

How meat fasting succeeds

Don't worry. If you fast meat, you don't have to go hungry. Nor should you. Because our body needs energy and nutrients to function properly.

So if you imagined eating only salad for 6 weeks now, you can quickly push that thought aside.

How to make the switch to a vegetarian diet!

Make sure you get enough protein

If you've often beaten your hunger with meat up to now, now you need something else. The magic word is protein. Even while you're fasting, you need to cover your protein requirements. Otherwise you'll lose muscle, and we don't want that.

Combine plant and animal sources of protein if you want to fast meat. Going from meat tiger to vegan is a very hard road.

During the meat-free period, you can get a lot of protein from eggs, dairy products and legumes. Fish and seafood also provide protein - but you should not replace meat 1:1 with fish during fasting. Because that clearly misses the point.

Discover alternatives for meat

If you immediately think of soy and make a face - I feel for you! I also absolutely do not like tofu. You don't have to. There are many vegetarians who can not get along with soy products.

So now you have to find alternatives for your meat. It's important that you choose healthy meat alternatives. Just because a product doesn't contain meat doesn't mean it's healthy.

For a good feeling of satiety you need a mix of proteins, fats and healthy carbohydrates.

What I totally like: Mushroom-based sausages. Or a homemade bolognese with lentils instead of minced meat (here you can find the recipe).

Don't make the mistake of eating more sweets now. If you previously ate a sausage sandwich after getting up and now replace it with a jam toast, then this is not so healthy.

Instead of the sausage bread you could prepare a bread with quark spread, vegetables and cheese. Sprouts also fit wonderfully on a wholemeal bread.

If you want to fast from meat, try to limit your sugar consumption as well. Replace white flour, baked goods, etc. with tasty alternatives.

Check out our recipes

I myself have not eaten meat for 3 years. Ok, 1-2x per year I make an exception, but otherwise I get along quite well without. Therefore, I know that meat fasting is not bad. Only the change is a bit unfamiliar.

But I've never gone hungry in all that time. I regularly record my favorite recipes in our "Food" category. Here you will find a very large selection of veggie recipes that will make it easy for you to give up meat.

My favorites for breakfast

My favorites for lunch

and of course many more.

Switch to a healthy diet for the long term

Change your body in the long term. We have already explained that too much sausage, schnitzel and the like are unhealthy. Use your motivation and do not stop after the meat fast. Reduce your meat consumption and you will soon feel the many positive effects on your body.

You will feel fitter and healthier. Your blood lipids will improve and you will feel tired less often. During Lent you will discover many new vegetarian and vegan dishes and foods that will make cooking more exciting again.

You'll learn to eat more consciously and think a little more about food during your meat fast.

Our conclusion

40 days of meat fasting is a great time to think about your eating habits and live more consciously. Take the time to look for delicious veggie recipes and try a lot of new things. You're guaranteed to find a whole lot of recipes that will make it into your menu permanently.

Good luck!

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