The other day I was reading an article from my ADA newsletter about the new “Choose My Plate” campaign launched by the United States Department of Agriculture this past month. The campaign is touted to be an easy way for consumers to make healthier food choices. The campaign promotes filling half our plates full of fruits and vegetables (yay!) and then pairing your produce with lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.
Sounds pretty good to me, although I still do not believe dairy needs its’ own separate category. Anyway, what really caught my eye in the article was a concept endorsed my Molly Shattuck, a registered dietitian for Hy-Vee food stores, called the 3-2-2 concept.
The 3-2-2 idea promotes serving lean meat or poultry for your entree three days a week, consuming fish for entrees two nights per week, and reserving two nights for vegetarian main dishes which feature beans, non-GMO soy, or whole grains.
“Eating dinners along the lines of 3-2-2 emphasizes more plant-based foods. We know from research that a diet high in plant foods is highly nutritious and can help us control our weight and decrease our risk for many chronic diseases,” says Shattuck. (source)
If you remember my efforts back in May to inspire each of you to eat a little LESS meat, you know that I am on board with the 3-2-2 concept. I truly believe it is a realistic goal for each and every household. For those families who might be used to eating meat at every meal, but want to start cutting back the meat, 3-2-2 would be a great starting point.
The benefits of a diet consisting of LESS meat are tremendous. A diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and legumes; and one that limits meat and other high-fat animal products has been shown to lower blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol levels, decrease heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, cancer, and mortality rates. That is impressive!
You owe it to yourself AND your family to begin thinking about consuming LESS meat. Make a solid effort each and every week by experimenting with new foods and recipes. You CAN do it!!
Some of my favorite vegetarian dishes:
- Grilled Portobello Burgers with Blue Cheese Crumbles
- Eight Vegetable Salad
- Southwestern Style Stuffed Squash
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo
- 3-Cheese Lasagna Bake (leave out the sausage)
- The Fattousch Salad
- 2-Bean Tamale Pie
- Tijuana Torta
QUESTION: How many nights do you go vegetarian? Any recipes to share?
*Sidenote* Vote for my friend Katie for the Women’s Health Magazine Contest called “Fittest Friends!” CLICK HERE TO VOTE! She is an excellent candidate, being the super-fit personal trainer that she is, and while you are at it, get some work out inspiration from her blog, She Rocks Fitness!
[...] bake the black bean and corn salsa right in to the meat mixture! If you are trying to follow the 3-2-2 concept, stuffed red peppers would squeeze quite nicely in to your meal plan! Yum [...]
[...] Trans fats contribute to clogged arteries and increased LDL cholesterol, which increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. Today there are many products claiming ZERO grams trans fat. Keep in mind that even if a product claims ZERO grams trans fat, if partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils or vegetable shortening is listed in the ingredients list, you can bet there are still trans fats in there. I suggest avoiding any product containing these ingredients and follow the 3-2-2 concept! [...]
[...] came across this concept last month on Erin’s blog. The 3-2-2 concept pretty much describes the way we eat right now [...]
[...] followed the 3-2-2 concept when meal planning over the [...]
I rarely ever eat meat just because I’m not the biggest fan most meats especially red meat or pork. But every once in a while, I enjoy a good ole turkey sandwich or grilled chicken on a salad. I do eat a lot of shrimp, though, but typically at only one meal/day will I have a non-veg source of protein.
I think the 3-2-2 concept is great!
What a great concept! I eat vegetarian for probably half the week but sometimes the entire week… Really depends on what I am in the mood for:-)
I think thats a great idea! Much easier for families to implement than just cutting meat out altogether. I probably eat fish three times a week and meat maybe once every 3 weeks.
The 3-2-2 concepts sounds great!! Thanks for sharing. I definitely do Meatless Mondays. I am trying to be pescatarian on most weeknights and save the meat for Fridays and weekends. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t, but just the fact that I am conscious about what I eat is already helping my health.
I love this concept! I actually cut back my meat and dairy consumption and I follow a mostly vegetarian diet these days and I feel great!
I love the 3-2-2 concept! I hadn’t heard of that before. My family eats vegetarian about 3 times per week. I’ve gotten my husband to LOVE lentils and beans, so I make meals from them often
I really like this concept! I’m going to try it would next time I do meal planning. We already eat a vegetarian and fish meal every week, but usually 4-5 meals are meat based. Cool article!
I only eat meat if Im out. I cant even remember the last time I cooked it. For one it takes too long, and for two, I just dont like it very much. I’ve always been that way, even when I was little. I cant help but wonder if thats had a part in why I’ve always been so healthy.
I love this concept! I try to do follow the 3-2-2 concept on a weekly basis
which is great that I was doing this before it became mainstream 
Great question Sam! I think it will be different for everyone but for someone like myself, if I know I’ll be eating meat or fish for dinner, I typically keep breakfast and lunch vegetarian. However, if you keep portions small (2-3 oz), I don’t find anything wrong with eating chicken for lunch and a little lean ground beef for dinner (although I realize MOST people don’t keep portions of meat that small). The whole concept of 3-2-2 is NOT to focus on what is being taken away but more about promoting the foods that could (and should) be added! Eating meat only 3 days a week means there’s more room from fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts/seeds, legumes, etc. I just want people to realize that there are more meal options out there and to experiment! Hope that answers your question! Thanks for bringing that up!
3-2-2 sounds good, but what about the other meals besides dinner?
I’ve been working towards this concept for some time now, and have been making a solid effort to get more fish in my diet, I love fish! Vegetarian dishes are sometimes hard for me, but it’s fun trying non-meat recipes!
I really love and follow this concept! For the past few months I’ve been trying hard to only consume meet 3 times a week and I eat fish 1-2 times as well. I need to work on my vegetarian menu because on those days it’s usually whole grain pizza with veggies or past with veggies!
I love this post and have to tell family and friends about this concept!
I like that concept!
Not only is it a healthy alternative, it’s also a nice way to cheapen your weekly grocery shopping!
I am vegetarian probably 4 or 5 days out of any given week. If I had to guess… rarely do I even realize when I go consecutive days without!
I kinda follow that rule without having even known it existed! I just don’t buy that much meat anymore so the most we eat it is 3 times a week. I wish this concept could gain more popularity with the nation, I think it is so much healthier for us all.
What a neat concept!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
I think the 3-2-2 concept is definitely a good starting point for someone who’s used to eating meat every day! For me, I typically go veg every other night on average, though these days I’m noticing I actually need to cut back on the beans and include more animal protein for digestive and hormonal issues. Meh. Still not eating meat every day, and when I do it’s typically just for dinner.
I think the biggest cause of health issues surrounding a meat-heavy diet is more than it’s imbalanced against fruits+vegetables, and I like that the new MyPlate recognizes that. Though I agree about the dairy thing. I’m more likely to include that in the protein portion!
I think I like the 3-2-2 idea. I’m sort of already following it myself (although not knowingly, and it’s probably not exact numbers-wise) but this month I’ve been doing Meatless Mondays, and several of my meals on other days of the week have been plant-based. I’m finding that I’m not craving meat as much, which is better for my health and it’s a more sustainable way of living too. Win-win!