If you’ve been thinking about eating less meat, you might have a few questions about where to start and how you can make it stick.

While vegetarianism and veganism is on the rise, not everybody wants to go cold turkey on their turkey. Brisbane’s Ben Hopkinson is one of them.

“Man, I love meat but now I’m also well aware of the impact it has on the environment,” the 37-year-old says.

He’s embracing what is sometimes dubbed “reducetarian” or “flexitarian” — reducing his meat intake rather than cutting it from his diet altogether.

The good news is even small changes can make a difference to your health and the environment (plus, you can keep eating spaghetti bolognaise).

If starting small sounds pretty good to you, read on for tips from a dietitian, vegan chef and Ben.

Set achievable goals, like meatless Monday

Thinking about what to cook during the week is hard enough without having to brainstorm meat-free options.

“Have ‘meatless Mondays’ as a first step,” explains accredited practising dietitian Lisa Donaldson.

“Have an omelette for dinner or experiment with plant-based proteins, whether it be legumes or tofu, for instance.”

She says it helps people get used to thinking about alternatives, without the pressure.

Following vegetarian and vegan groups on social media will help with meal ideas, recommends chef Veet Karen, who runs a vegan cooking school in Mullumbimby.

For days you still want to eat meat, consider halving your portions.

“Find out what your family’s fave meals are then tweak them,” Ms Donaldson says.

“In spaghetti bolognaise, for example, add 250 grams of mince rather than 500, and make up the other portion with legumes or lentils.”

Over the past three years Ben says he’s cut back from eating red meat four to five times a week to one or two. He’s halved his white meat consumption and upped how much seafood and vegetarian food he consumes.

“Most of my lunches that I prep for work on Sunday are just some form of veggies and legumes,” he says.

He says starting small is key.

“Find recipes of different cuisines that you like — for example Thai green curry, and make it with sweet potato and chickpeas.”

Up the veggies

One of the great things about eating less meat is it allows room for you to consume more veggies, says Ms Donaldson.

“If we look at the way Australians are eating at the moment, just 7 per cent are eating the recommended intake of vegetables,” she says.

“When you think about the fact that obesity is on the rise, we are missing something here. The focus should be on eating more plant food in general.”

Meat as a side and meat substitutes

Ms Donaldson says many of her clients come to her eating meat portions much larger than her recommend “palm of your hand” size.

“We should think about eating more plant-based food in general and using meat as more of a side rather than the hero on the plate.”

Ms Karen says if you think of traditional meals, they all have a protein element, so it can be as simple as swapping one thing for another.

She recommends using complete proteins (a protein that contains the nine amino acids essential to to our diet) such as quinoa, buckwheat or soy. Or you can “protein combine”. Beans and rice together, for example, give you a complete protein.

When it comes to meat substitutes, such as meat-free bacon, it’s worth looking at the ingredients.

“Often they are quite high in salt to give those foods flavour,” says Ms Donaldson.

Ben says rather than using meat replacements, he eats more vegetables.

“I have tried a couple of [fake meats] but didn’t really enjoy them.”

Know what changes are ahead (and don’t try to convert the whole family)

Ben says reducing his meat has left him feeling physically healthier.

“I definitely sleep a lot deeper and feel a lot clearer in body and mind. Gut health improves a lot too.”

The benefits are often because people are increasing their plant-based foods, explains Ms Donaldson.

“Hopefully they would see improved gut and bowel health — especially if they have a variety of veggies in their diet,” she says.

“People would be pooing more easily and feeling better within themselves.”

Ms Karen warns against trying to convince the whole family to reduce their meat intake to make cooking easier.

“That can create drama. Just make your own [meat-free] food really tasty and they might come around.”

Ms Donaldson recommends making meals that allow for different needs.

“Sometimes taking a meat-and-veg kind of approach can help, then it’s just swapping the protein component for those who want to.”

She recommends speaking to your GP or dietitian before embarking on any diet change to make sure you are getting the nutrients you need to live a healthy life.