Meat free week is an annual challenge to help Australian’s understand how much meat they eat and how much they actually need. The aim of the week is not to encourage everyone to become a vegetarian eater, but rather provide the opportunity for us to reflect on how much meat we eat, the impact this has on our health and the health of our planet, and what we can eat instead of meat. I invite you take my Meat Free Week Quiz and see how you fare.
During one of my Blue Mountains Food Co-operative nutrition sessions, I invited some of our customers to try my Meat Free Week Quiz. Overall people were surprised by the correct answers. You might like to try the quiz.
How well do you know your protein serves? I invite you to take my Meat Free Week Quiz.
Meat Free Week Quiz
1.How many serves of meat (or alternatives) are recommended daily for an adult?
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4
2. Which serve below does not equal one serve of cooked meat or alternative?
a) 100g meat b) 1 cup lentils c) 2 large eggs d) 170g tofu
3. Someone eating a vegetarian diet requires a larger serve of cooked lentils or beans, this is because they need more:
a) fibre b) omega 3 fats c) vitamin B12 d) iron
4. I cup of uncooked beans or lentils, when cooked makes:
a) 1.5 cups b) 2 cups c) 2.5 cups d) 3 cups
5. How many serves of lentils or legumes are recommended as the minimum for our health, for people eating meat?
a) 1 daily b) 1/ week c) 2/week d) 4/ week
You will find the answers below. How do you fare with the quiz?
You might like to refresh your knowledge of protein foods by reading an earlier post of mine.
Environmental Concerns about Eating Meat
I have shared links to earlier posts related to environmental concerns about eating meat.
Meat, fish and poultry are nutritious foods, but the consumption of these foods is increasing at a rate that concerns scientists. Scientists are questioning that our level of meat consumption is harming human health, and having negative environmental consequences.
The World Health Organisation has recognised the health benefits of eating more lentils and legumes, declaring 2016 “The Year of the Pulse”. A logical way forward is for people to eat less animal products and enjoy more plant foods. What did the meat free week quiz tell you about your food choices?
Meat Free Week Meal Ideas
I have a selection of core vegetarian recipes available on Eating For You website. Feel free to use and share the recipe links via social media. So you don’t miss out on recipes and other tips, sign up for the monthly Nourishment Newsletter
- Fragrant Pumpkin Curry Recipe
- Versatile Yellow Curry Recipe
- Lentil Bolognese Recipe
- Red Lentil Dhal Recipe
- Whatever Goes Stir-Fry
You may also like to read my tips for cooking with pulses.
A nutritious way of eating requires a balance of foods. For some people this may be based on plant foods alone, for others, it will be a combination of animal and plant foods. For most of us living in Western societies, we can safely eat fewer animal products and more plant foods. Please forward me any questions or comments, or post them below. I would love to hear how you fared with the quiz.
Quiz Answers
- b Most adults require at least 2 serves of high quality protein foods a day. This is in addition to dairy and alternatives
- a The recommended serve of red meat is 65g
- d Someone eating a vegetarian diet requires larger serves of lentils and legumes to optimise their dietary iron intake
- b or c The volume of dried uncooked lentils or beans roughly doubles in volume when cooked
- c The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults eat at least 2 serves of pulses per week