Animal versus Plant Protein for Older Adults: Instead of Either/Or Try And/Both

Depending on your news feed, meat is either the biggest contributor to destroying the planet, should be avoided to prevent heart disease, or is a nutrient-rich food that is needed to help feed the over eight billion people on the planet. As with most headlines, we need to look beyond the clickbait and seriously consider the merits and the tradeoffs of eating meat.

I grew up eating meat….it was the centerpiece around which most middle-class households planned their meals. And, when I grew up, we didn’t think about lean cuts of meat for our health and sustainability was not in our vocabulary. It was more likely that price determined which cut my mother would buy to feed a family of seven kids. Today, I eat meat occasionally, it is not an everyday food, and I eat a wide variety of protein-rich foods, but I do enjoy meat.

Nutritional Benefits of Meat

As older adults, we know the benefits of getting quality protein and spreading protein intake throughout the day to help stimulate muscle growth and repair. (For more on protein and older adults, click here).

The nutrition benefits of red meat, like beef and lamb, are without a doubt, superior to most plant-based foods. Nothing against beans, peas, and lentils…. I love them, but a small portion (3-4 ounces) of meat delivers a powerhouse of nutrients. Many older adults are concerned about weight gain with age so choosing nutrient-rich foods (that is, foods that pack a nutrition wallop in a small package of calories) is a smart option. Besides protein, a small portion of meat contains about 2.5 grams of the muscle-stimulating amino acid, leucine, the amount suggested to be consumed at every meal. Beef contains a highly absorbable form of iron, zinc, and selenium, needed for immune support. And beef contains B-vitamins and is a rich source of vitamin B12, which is only found in animal-sourced foods. Lean beef and lamb are naturally low in sodium and have no need to add artificial or highly processed ingredients to the final product.

Caring for the Land and Resources

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Doug McNicholl, Regional Manager for North America Meat & Livestock Australia talk about Australian grassfed beef and lamb. The sustainability of meat was a main topic of conversation. Many people use the argument that we should be using land for growing plant foods (grains, veggies, nuts, fruits) instead of raising animals, but he reminded the audience that not all land is good land for growing crops but is good for grazing animals. “Less than 3% of land in Australia is used to grow crops, because of inadequate rainfall and/or soil health. That’s why livestock production is the dominant land use; cattle, sheep and goats can graze on “marginal land” and convert grass and other plants with low nutrient value to humans into high quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that we can digest,” says McNicoll. That is called upcycling…the animals eat the food we can’t and turn it into nutrients that are readily available for us to use. Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor of Animal Science at UC Davis, adds that “without ruminants, we could not make use of 2/3 of ALL agricultural land in the world.”

Grass fed beef has another advantage for us humans. It is lower in total and saturated fat and contains about twice the amount of omega-3-fats found in grain-finished beef. (To be clear, fatty fish, like salmon and tuna contain a lot more omega-3s than grass fed beef, but every little bit helps us increase these important fats.)

Farmers and ranchers are doing many things to reduce the environmental impact of growing food. For example, in Australia, ranchers have reduced water use by over 65% over the last three decades and have reduced carbon emissions by almost 60% since 2005. If you want to try Aussie Beef & Lamb (they also raise goat…a favorite of a family member who hails from Ghana) you don’t have to go to Australia to get it (although Australia is well worth a trip in your lifetime!) Just put your zip code in this link to find it near you.

Tips for Those who Choose to Eat Meat

Here are some tips for those who choose to eat meat.

•            Choose lean cuts. By definition, a lean cut has 10 grams or less of total fat and less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat in 3.5-ounce serving. A quick way to know if a cut of meat is lean is to look for the word “round” or “loin” in the name. Top loin, ground round, eye-of-round, sirloin, and flank steak are all lean cuts. A 3-ounce (size of a deck of cards) lean cut of beef or lamb provides about 20 grams of high-quality protein and 10 essential nutrients. A scoop of protein powder might also give you 20 grams of protein but is devoid of other nutrients.

•            While there several plant-based burgers on the market today (Impossible, Beyond Meat, Incogmeato, etc.) they are not health foods or nutritionally superior to lean beef or lamb burgers. Enjoy them if you want to choose less meat but don’t think they are the most healthful options.

•            Consider a beef-plant mixture for a burger. One of my favorite ways to make burgers is to mix about 3-ounces of lean ground beef or lamb with about ½ cup of finely chopped mushrooms and form patties for the grill. The mushrooms add volume and moistness as well as sneaking in a serving of veggies.

•            Grill flank steak and slice and serve over a salad brimming with veggies.

•            Whatever you choose, remember it is the total dietary pattern that makes for good health. So, for meat eaters, keep portions in check, pile on the veggies, include healthy grains, and eat delicious fruit to balance your meals.

For some great recipes and inspiring flavors, click here. 

Dr. Chris Rosenbloom is a registered dietitian and nutrition professor emerita at Georgia State University. She is the co-author of Food & Fitness After 50 and writes a blog, Fit to Eat, on optimal aging, Click here to follow the blog.