By Lucia Weiler BSc, RD, PHEc, President, Weiler Nutrition Communications Inc. & Co-Founder Nutrition for NON-Nutritionists
There is a lot of confusing information about red meat, so let’s break down some of the common topics and answer your questions.
Plant and animal proteins: What’s the difference?
Protein is an important nutrient for your health. It helps build and repair body tissues. All proteins are made up of amino acids and your body builds proteins using about 20 different amino acids. Your body can make some amino acids, but there are 9 that are essential and must come from the diet. The quality of protein depends on which essential amino acids the food contains and their digestibility.
All animal proteins contain all nine essential amino acids and are called ‘complete’ or ‘high quality’ proteins. Rich sources of animal proteins include eggs, fish and seafood, lean meat such as beef and pork, poultry, wild game, and dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
Most plant proteins are missing one or more essential amino acids and are sometimes called ‘incomplete’. However, a variety of plant proteins eaten during the day can provide enough essential amino acids. Some plant foods contain all nine essential amino acids such as quinoa, soybeans and soybean products like tofu, tempeh and edamame. Other good plant protein sources are beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, nuts and seeds and their butters; however, they are incomplete proteins. Since plant foods contain different types and amounts of amino acids, getting all the essential amino acids on an exclusively plant-based requires some effort.1
Dietitians recognize that many considerations may come into play when choosing between animal and plant protein sources. We recommend eating a varied diet rich in both nutrient-dense plant proteins and lean animal proteins.
Protein: How much do you need?
In recent years, high-protein diets have become quite popular, and many people wonder how much protein they need and what is too much. Protein foods should be included at every meal. Aim for ¼ (one quarter) of your meal or plate to come from protein sources. Most people get enough protein, so it is not a health concern for most Canadians who eat a mixed diet.2
Considering protein’s importance to health, it’s interesting that the exact amount of protein you should consume each day is a bit uncertain. Commonly used amounts considered ‘adequate’ to prevent malnutrition for adults (19 years and over) are 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 68 kg (150 lbs), then you would need about 55 grams of protein per day. 3 However, research is increasingly finding that “adequate” isn’t the same as “optimal” for health.
Recent studies found that higher protein intakes at 1.4 – 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight may be better for promoting health and maintaining lean body mass.4, 5 As dietitians, we translate the science and can recommend for most healthy people to aim for a protein intake of 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram body weight each day. For a 150-lb person (68 kg), using 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram equals to 95 grams of protein per day. It’s also important to distribute protein intake throughout the day because our bodies can’t store protein. In meal terms, for an average adult, we recommend eating 20-30 grams of protein per meal, and consuming the rest of the daily protein through snacks. 6, 7
There are some groups that have different protein needs such as pregnant and breastfeeding women, some athletes, older adults and people with certain health conditions. Talk to a dietitian about the amount of protein that is right for you.
Obesity and diabetes: is red meat a cause?
Obesity is a complex condition that occurs when a person has too much body fat. Many factors can contribute to excess weight gain including eating patterns, physical activity and sleep routines as well as lack of access to healthy foods, genetics and family history, certain health conditions and medications, emotional factors, age, and more.8 There is not one food that causes obesity and there are no magical foods or ways to combine foods that will help you lose weight.9
Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to use the energy it gets from foods. The cause of the most common type 2 diabetes includes obesity, ethnic background, a family history of type 2 diabetes and other environmental factors. 10
Diabetes is not caused by eating too much of any one food, including sugars. People don’t “give themselves” diabetes. Red meat is a nutrient-dense food that can fit well into a diabetic diet.11 There is plenty of evidence showing that unprocessed red meats do not have a negative impact on your overall health and even provide benefits in terms of nutrition – vitamins, minerals and high-quality protein
Dietitians have a large toolbox of skills and techniques to support you in eating healthfully.
The information provided in this blog is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to be treated as medical advice.
Sources:
- Duyff (2017) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide ↩︎
- Health Canada (2019) Protein Available at Protein – Canada.ca ↩︎
- Dietitians of Canada (2022) Introduction To Protein And High Protein Foods – Unlock Food ↩︎
- Bray et al (2010) JAMA; Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating: a randomized controlled trial – PubMed (nih.gov) ↩︎
- Pencharz, P et al. (2016) Recent developments in understanding protein needs – How much and what kind should we eat? Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 41(5): 577-580. Available at https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549 ↩︎
- Dennet (2019) Protein Myths & Facts – Today’s Dietitian Magazine (todaysdietitian.com) and Arentson-Lantz E, Clairmont S, Paddon-Jones D, Tremblay A, Elango R. (2015) Protein: a nutrient in focus. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 40(8):755-761. ↩︎
- AMA (2015) and J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2018) and Weiler (2018) Unlock the power of protein for strong muscles https://weilernutrition.com/2018/02/2003/ ↩︎
- Causes of Obesity (2022) Centre for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/basics/causes.html ↩︎
- Department of Health, State Government of Victoria, Australia, Weight loss – common myths, Available at https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/weight-loss-common-myths ↩︎
- Diabetes Canada (2022) “Causes” of diabetes – Diabetes Canada ↩︎
- Diabetes Meal Plans (2018) Red Meat and Diabetes. https://diabetesmealplans.com/14808/red-meat-and-diabetes/ ↩︎