To meat or not to meat?

If you haven't noticed already, one of the ways to make food cheaper and quicker is to skip the meat. I'm not advocating a vegan or vegetarian diet here - just pointing out a fact. I know that some people are really attached to eating meat with every meal, so I looked up the USDA dietary guidelines. They recommend that a 2,000-calorie diet should include 5 1/2 "units" of the meat/poultry/fish/eggs/beans/nuts group a day. How much is a unit? 1 oz of meat, poultry, or fish, 1 egg, 1/4 cup cooked dry beans or tofu, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds.

How much is one ounce of meat? Well, a piece the size of a deck of cards is 3 ounces - so cut that in 3. How much is one half ounce of nuts or seeds? One small handful. You can find actual numbers of nuts and their fat content here, if you'd like. Just remember that it's a healthier fat than you find in most foods.

After gathering that info, I realize it's really easy to get as much as you need! So, go do it.