By Kelly Bogard
Too much red meat? Beef is bad? I’ve heard lots of rumblings lately about how beef is bad for you and that we should eat less meat by joining the “Meatless Mondays” movement. I just don’t understand how something so nutrient-rich and delicious can be so evil.
Last week, I was invited to a gathering of Texas food bloggers, hosted by the Texas Beef Council. Twenty of us “foodie” and “mommy” bloggers learned more about how nutritious lean beef is and how it can fit into a healthy lifestyle. After getting the facts, I thought I’d dispel a common misconception about beef that I’ve been hearing lately.
Beef is not a good source of protein.
WRONG! Beef is an excellent source of protein. There are lots of different sources of protein, but beef is an extremely efficient way to pack a protein punch. There are 29 lean cuts of beef readily available at your local grocery store.
Take a look at the chart below and decide what you want to eat. Each of these choices will give you the same 25 grams of protein, but consider the calories that go along with your choice. Keep in mind, 25 grams of protein is only half of the recommended daily allowance.
It would take seven tablespoons of peanut butter to get the same protein as three ounces of steak. Now, I love peanut butter, but there is no way I can put seven tablespoons on one sandwich. (Not to mention you tack on three times the calories with your PB&J!) And if you can eat 1-1/2 cups of black beans a day, I don’t want to sit near you anytime soon. As for tofu, there are no words… Just try it raw and tell me you wouldn’t prefer a steak.
I’m not saying you have to eat beef with every meal or even every day, but it’s time to use a little logic. The facts speak for themselves. Thanks to the Texas Beef Council and Registered Dietician Stacy Bates, MS, RD, LD, for giving me the opportunity to learn more about lean beef.
I think if I have a choice between tofu and beef, I’ll grill steak for dinner tonight!
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You didn’t take into consideration amino acids which build proteins. What do the biggest and most muscular animals like bison, gorilla, etc.. eat? Greens. You have to eat more, but it’s much better quality, and you don’t have to do as much work to break down the proteins during digestion. It’s an ‘energy conserving’ versus an ‘energy consuming’ food type. I like eating meat too but get your facts straight and don’t try to say meat is better in terms of giving your body protein. Besides I think the biggest problem people have with meat is the amount of resources needed for producing it and the environmental impact of meat production.
Dan, thanks for your comment. I have to disagree with you, though. Kelly never said that beef is better than plants in terms of delivering nutrients like protein to the body. She did say that for people looking for a low-calorie, efficient way to receive protein, beef is an excellent source. Diet is a personal choice, and everyone is entitled to choose what they want to eat—whether that’s black beans, tofu or beef.
As for the environmental impact, Dr. Judith Capper of Washington State University points out that if all 311 million Americans went “meatless” every Monday, the carbon footprint would be reduced by only 0.44 percent.
A lot of people that talk about resources used to produce meat do not realize that much of the U.S. will grow nothing but grass. A lot of non irrigated acreage in Texas is like that. Some folks think we can pull of the cattle and plant edible crops. Not possible. The only way we have to harvest that grass is by running it through livestock. Also, all those advocating an all organic approach to crop production are also by extension advocating an increase in livestock on the order of millions. That’s where the fertilizer comes from.
Hi Dan,
I appreciate your input however your argument has many fallacies… Bison and Cattle are ruminants. Human stomachs are unable to digest cellulose and therefore do NOT break down plant material the same way so actually you have to MORE work for these items to literally pass through your digestive system without absorbing any of it. Eaten any lettuce lately? Don’t get me wrong, we do get some vitamins and nutrients from dark greens, I eat my share; but to say “you don’t have to do as much work to break down the proteins” is misconstrued. You have a right to choose what you eat – I have no problem with that, but please don’t jump on the internet bandwagon of false information.
It was great meeting and cooking with you, Kelly!
Meat is a more efficient way of receiving protein. The reason cows, bison, etc. are able to eat grass and get their nutrients is because they are specially designed to do that- as noted before, they are ruminants.
But putting that aside, humans are unique in that we also receive pleasure and form a sense of community around our food. It is important to enjoy food and many people enjoy beef immensely. Beef is tasty and adds to our social structure, too.
Excellent points, KK and Milehimama. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Thanks to everyone for posting. There is alot of good information out there that we can all learn about agriculture and how it affects our everyday lives. I feel fortunate that I was able to learn what I did from the Texas Beef Council this last week and meet some new bloggers. Thanks Milehimama. I hope to see you all again soon.
[…] this week, you may have seen my blog about a common misconception about beef. It sure had people fired up! Beef is high in protein and has some unique qualities that make it a […]