Braai Flexitarian

How to make a meaty South African staple healthier for you and the environment.

Being flexitarian is about being considerate of your meat consumption and lowering it as much as possible. This is difficult for many South Africans, who are notorious meat-lovers. Who could part with biltong, boerewors and, of course, the traditional braai? A full vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is definitely not for everybody. But, lowering your meat consumption even marginally can have great benefits for your health and the environment. Before we collectively roll our eyes at the absurdity of a meat-free braai, lets consider the benefits and banish a few myths.

Eating Less Meat:

Is considered good for your health

Replacing meat with grains, vegetables and healthy fats a few times a week has been linked to lowered risk of heart disease. In some cases, it has actually reversed the progression of heart disease. It may also help lower cholesterol. If you are struggling to lose weight, eating meat less often may help. Some studies have found a connection between meat intake and obesity.

Is good for the environment

Climate change is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most concerning issues. The livestock industry produces approximately 18% of manmade greenhouse gases, more than all transportation combined. Deforestation is a worry too. Animal farming requires great amounts of land for the animals and crops to feed them.

Lowers your water footprint

While this is also an environmental factor, it is especially important in South Africa. We continue to face droughts and lack of water resources. Producing 1kg of meat requires between 5 000 and 20 000 litres of water, with dairy products not far behind. Household water-saving measures are a great contribution, but can be made greater by cutting down on meat consumption.

Eating less meat doesn’t mean:

You have to avoid meat all together

This is where the term flexitarian comes in, as many people find vegetarian or vegan diets completely impossible. Studies suggest replacing red meat and chicken with fish or plant-proteins about five times a week allow you to enjoy all the health benefits. Even doing this once a week is a great start. Consider joining the Meat-free Monday movement to dip your toe in the water, and dive in from there!

You’ll only eat a plate full of bland vegetables

This misconception deters those who can’t think of what else to cook or who hate eating vegetables altogether. Many people don’t realise a lot of the foods they eat are already vegetarian or vegan. Eating vegetarian dishes is not an unattainable diet filled dry spinach and tofu. Most of us think of a meal as a meat and three veg. If you try to stick to this but remove the meat, you’re bound to have a boring meal. Instead, you can expand your horizons to more exciting, nutritionally diverse meals and make weekly dinners a new family adventure. There are tons of delicious curries, stir fries, soups and pastas that are nutritious and filling without any meat components.

You’ll be vitamin or mineral deficient

The old question, ‘But where will I get my protein?’ can be easily answered. There are hundreds of protein sources that are not meat or even dairy. While the daily protein requirements differ from person to person, the average person requires around 50g of protein per day. That translates to approximately 150g of red meat, or 6 slices of cheese, or 500g yoghurt, or 5 slices of whole grain bread, or 150g of nuts. The key is choosing not one of these but a variety, and adding vegetable proteins as well. While vegan diets are known to be deficient in certain vitamins, like B12, just limiting meat and possibly dairy is plenty to ensure all your nutritional needs are met.

Now that we know why, the question is how?

The mere thought of a braai without meat is almost inconceivable, but it definitely can be done. There are many recipes to replace the traditional meat staples. There are also some sides to rejuvenate the typical Greek salad and baked potatoes. Remember, you don’t have to give up meat completely, you can still include that boerie somewhere. Consider swopping out some meat dishes with veggie alternatives. Or, you could go all out and try a fully vegetarian braai with all the South African flavour and all the benefits.