Home cooks are using more meat in their recipes as people become more inclined to eat it, one expert has revealed.

Editor of Food Mood Magazine Peter Grove pointed out that meat can be just as integral to healthy eating as a vegetarian diet.

"The argument for and against meat eating is often presented in too much of a black and white attitude. Certainly, there are a lot of benefits to meat eating," he explained.

Mr Grove indicated that a balanced diet is crucial for anyone, but too many people are swayed by the labels that are put on everyday foods.

He added that the masculine image associated with meat is very much a cultural issue rather than being health-related.

Research from the University of British Columbia recently found that vegetarian diets are seen as more virtuous and less masculine than those that include meat.