As a nation, we're unashamedly big meat eaters, whether that's enjoying a cheeky burger on our lunch break or tucking into a hearty roast dinner.

However, at the last count, 12 per cent of adults reported that they were vegetarians or vegans, a staggering rise from the two per cent in 2012.

There are also a lot of people now considering themselves 'flexitarians', which involves cutting back on meat every now and then to reap the supposed health benefits.

With these developments in mind, FEMAIL teamed up with AO.com to challenge one family to ditch the meat for a week.

Scroll down for video.

Liz Breese (right) holding her grand-daughter Beth (left) as daughter Tamsin (background) looks on

Meals prepared included vegetarian curried stir fry (right) and vegetable pizzas (left)

The Breese family from Cambridgeshire agreed to reduce their meat intake for seven days and found, to their surprise, that they felt better and spent just £55 on their weekly shop - cutting their grocery bill by half.

The challenge

To cut all meat out of the family's diet for a week and create vegetarian dishes only. Other animal products, such as cheese and eggs, are fine to consume as well as herbs, spices and dried products already in the cupboard, which can be used to make meals.

The contenders

The Breese family, based in Cambridgeshire, consists of mum Liz, 50, Dad Ian (56), daughter Tamsin (24), son Rob (21) and Tamsin's daughter Beth (3).

With both parents working in the medical profession - Liz is a nurse and Ian a dentist - this involves long hours and few breaks, so they need a diet that can be flexible, which gives them energy but also remains healthy.

The Breese family from Cambridgeshire agreed to reduce their meat intake for seven to see if they felt better and if the challenge have any significant impact on their wallet

The food shop consisted of broccoli, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, cabbage, leeks, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, avocado, yoghurt, cheese, granola, orange juice, red onions, rice, oil and lasagne sheets

Liz said: 'We normally eat meat around five or six times a week - twice, at lunch and dinner. We were excited to try new food and new recipes. Although my husband and kids were a bit nervous as it is such a big part of our meals, they were willing to give it a go.'

Vegetables were already a big part of the Breese family's diet, with Liz cooking healthy meals in between shifts for the family to come home to.

'I was immediately up for the challenge because vegetables are quite a big part of our meals anyway, but I definitely thought that this would be a good opportunity to try and do more with them,' she continued.

Vegetarian burgers served with rolls and a side salad. Liz, who prepared all the meals, said she found it easy to make substitutes to existing recipes

What's for dinner? Vegetable pie (left and right) with a crunchy mash topping proved to be a tasty meal

The food shop

When it came to shopping the Breese family regularly picks up a variety of meats to enjoy throughout the week for lunches and dinner.

'We'd normally have chicken, lean beef mince, steak, leg of lamb or pulled pork - that's a favourite,' said Liz.

However, this shop looked a little different, consisting of: mixed veg, broccoli, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, cabbage, leeks, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, avocado, yoghurt, cheese, granola, orange juice, red onions, rice, oil and lasagne sheets.

Liz picked up her shopping at budget supermarket Aldi and also did a top up shop later in the week at a local Tesco store.

Breakfast included muesli served with fruit yoghurt (left) and gluten-free cereal with milk (right)

Liz got creative in the kitchen throughout the challenge, creating delicious looking meals that left everyone feeling full including dishes such as cous cous with vegetable patties and a dollop of sour cream (pictured)

Did it save money?

Many people argue that eating healthily, and incorporating lots of vegetables into your diet, costs a significant amount more than the usual type of weekly shop.

However, Liz reported otherwise. 'My shopping was relatively cheaper,' she said.,

'Most of the meals I cooked were created using fresh veg, but surprisingly, it was a lot cheaper than normal because I assumed that fresh produce would be a bit more expensive, particularly organic.'

'The food shop cost around £55 for the week, which is about half the amount we would spend normally!'

This proves that you can eat healthy produce, save money and reduce the amount of meat you eat throughout the week.

What meals did the family cook up?

Liz got creative in the kitchen throughout the challenge, creating delicious looking meals that left everyone feeling full.

'Obviously the main part of the meal wasn't there, so we had to make up for it - and yes, all that veg was definitely filling.'

The family's favourite recipe had to be the vegetable lasagne; featuring plenty of tasty vegetables and layers of cheese (scroll down for recipe).

Toasted bagels with smashed up avocado were one of the breakfast options when the family grew tired of cereal and granola

As part of the challenge, Liz served her family homemade vegetable pies as a main meal

Were there any health benefits?

The meals Liz cooked were a great example of how to enjoy dining without meat, packed with delicious and fresh vegetables. Her family, she said, benefited from the challenge.

She said: 'We definitely felt more energetic, slept better and felt a lot less bloated before bed. The kids did mention more bloating during the day, because you essentially just eat a whole load of veg, but that disappeared during the evening.

'We've also realised that eating more fresh vegetables is one of the simplest choices to improve your overall health.'

'With a bit of imagination and creativity, I substituted meat with mushrooms, lentils, beans and made veggie burgers and vegetable pizza bases rather than making a regular one.'

Liz now has plans to continue cooking with vegetables and their substitutes.

When asked if knowing more about the health benefits would impact the family's meat intake, Liz responded: 'I'd say probably! My husband has decided that he'd like to continue to cut meat out of his diet, so knowing that now will definitely encourage me, and the rest of the family, to follow suit.

'We have definitely felt a lot less sluggish since cutting it out, but since it's been such a staple in our diets for pretty much our entire lives, it's a lot to get used to. Saying that though, the challenge has opened my eyes to new food options.'

Studies at Loma Linda University of California have discovered that by removing meat from your diet you can significantly reduce your risk of bowel cancer by up to 43 per cent.

This is a staggering amount, and something to take into consideration if you consume a lot of meat products, on a regular basis.

Healthy spread: The challenge made the family realise that eating more fresh vegetables is 'one of the simplest choices to improve your overall health'

Food such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils, which make up the bulk of this vegetable briyani (pictured) provide plenty of protein

How to take the challenge yourself

If you're looking for new ways of incorporating more vegetables into your everyday diet, even if you aren't dropping meat completely, then take a look at AO's online platform which features hundreds of ways of cooking tasty meals with vegetables, as well as when they're best to eat and new ones you should be trying.

When it comes to substitutes you can also pick up a huge variety of products in the supermarket that taste very similar to the real thing.

Quorn mince is great for throwing into your favourite spaghetti Bolognese, and Linda McCartney sausages have tricked the fussiest of eaters in the past.

Some might argue that you aren't getting the protein your body requires when eating a diet that doesn't include meat, but food such as kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and dairy products all provide plenty of protein as a solution to this problem.

These can all be added to dishes such as curries or pastas on top of plenty of vegetables to boost your intake. There's also protein powder, usually reserved for those training at the gym, that can be easily thrown into smoothies or baking to add a protein punch to your day.

You can also make baked goods healthier by adding veggies, brownies can be made gooey and moist with avocado or beetroot and pancakes are easy to make with just a mushed up banana and two eggs.

Liz also recommends planning your meals if you want to adopt the challenge.

'I decided to wing it and decide what meals I'd make on the day,' she said.

'I did prepare our evening meals during the day, so it would all be finished by the time the rest of the family got home in the afternoon, but other than that, it was pretty unplanned!

'I would definitely prepare more of the meals in advance. Because I used mostly fresh veg, it took a lot longer to prepare.

'I think I would definitely make a list of the meals for the week as well, just so I knew what I'd be making that day.'