Red and processed meat - advice

Grill med kött

Less red and processed meat!

Eat less red and processed meat, no more than 500 grams a week. Only a small amount of this should be processed meat.

Find your way – how to make it work

Four a week?

Four meals containing meat makes around 500 grams. Focus more on vegetarian foods and eggs, and sometimes fish or poultry.Or eat meat a little more often, but in smaller quantities. Make yourmeat sauce or casserole go further using crushed tomatoes, lentils or root vegetables. You can kill two birds with one stone this way – less meat and more vegetables!

Chicken or egg

Chicken can be varied just about any way you like. As can eggs – you can have them boiled, fried or in an omelette together with some wholemeal bread and salad for a quick and tasty meal.

Easy to switch

Soups, pies and stirfries can easily be made without meat. The freezer section in your supermarket offers lots of exciting "veggie burgers", and you'll find ready-to-eat beans, lentils and chickpeas among the tinned products. Quick, simple and delicious.

Veggie food in when you're out

More and more restaurants are focusing on serving delicious vegetarian food. Take the opportunity to enjoy a tasty veggie meal if you're having lunch out.

Healthier choice

The Keyhole symbol can help you find minced meat and processed meats containing less fat.

Meat with care

If you cut back on meat, you'll have enough money for meat produced more sustainably, with attention paid to the welfare of the animals. Choose ecolabelled meats such as free range, organic or certified eco-friendly.

For your health

Cutting back on red and processed meat is good for our health. By red meat, we meanbeef, pork, lamb, reindeer and game. Eating less than 500 grams a week (equivalent to 600-750 grams of raw meat) reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. This is particularly true if we cut back on processed meat products. Processed meat also contain lots of salt and saturated fat, so cutting back on these also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Meat contains vital nutrients, but beans, chickpeas, lentils, fish, eggs and poultry also provide lots of iron and protein, for instance.

For the environment

Of all foods, meat has the greatest impact on our climate and environment. This is why it's important for us to cut back on meat and be careful about what meat we do choose to eat.

Poultry has the smallest impact on our climate, followed by pork. Beef and lamb have the greatest impact, but free range beef and lamb can also have positive effects. In Sweden, for example, they help to produce a rich agricultural landscape and ensure that natural pastures are kept open. This benefits lots of species under threat. Sweden is also in a good position when it comes to animal welfare and the use of antibiotics.

Adults

Reviewed 2024-01-25