There was a time where eating meat was believed to be the worst meal that you could ever have. From increasing the risk of cholesterol to the added weight around the waist, everything seemed to point to unhealthy, fatty meat intake.
So, the switch was to increase the carbohydrates in our diet. The result? The same extra pounds – if not more than before.
More studies recently are digging into the relationship between cholesterol and fats, which is turning out to have less of a relationship that we thought. This is because not all fats are the same. Actually, some bring in more benefits than harm. However, the carbohydrates, in particular the ones high in sugar, are the ones that seem not just to have more impact on cholesterol, but also in our waist.
More protein, more weight?
Eating protein is essential for losing weight or keeping our health in check. The amount and type matters too.
Nowadays, we blame the carbohydrates for pretty much everything, but the problem is that when we replaced fats with carbs, we started to eat more “white” instead of whole-grain carbs, which are actually an excellent source of vegetable protein along with fiber.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the amount of protein was evaluated to see that if eating more than 30 grams/meal (the equivalent to 4 ounces of chicken, soy, fish, lean beef or dairy) increased the rate of muscle protein more than 50% as this amount does. Eating more, 12 ounces, gave exactly the same results as eating 4 ounces.
What happens with the 8 extra ounces? The excess can end up as glucose or fat. So, don’t reserve your protein intake to the last meal of the day. Is a 12-ounce porterhouse steak a familiar supper? Don’t let it be, instead spread it out throughout the day to keep building your muscles and activating your metabolism.
If protein intake is critical to fulfill your dietary goals, so are the sources. Tara Gidus, team dietitian for the Orlando Magic and board certified specialist in sports dietetics, points out that there was an overreaction to labeling all red meat as bad. There are 29 cuts of lean red meat and you can easily include some in a healthy diet several times per week. As long as people use portion control and choose lean animal protein, it can fit easily into a healthy diet.
That being said, there is a lot of very well designed scientific studies showing the benefits of reducing animal protein and having plant-based proteins when it comes to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
There’s more than meat!
Before asking to your butcher for your next lean pork chop cut, consider including in your shopping cart these great vegetable proteins: soy (anything from edamame and soy nuts to veggie burgers and tempeh), soy protein powder in a smoothie, quinoa, hemp (powder or milk), beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, red beans, white beans, lentils, black-eyed peas), nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower).
Gidus explains that the difference between an animal protein and a vegetable is that “some plant-based proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids, but if you eat a combination of various plant foods, you’ll get them. Soy, quinoa, and hemp all have all of the essential amino acids, but beans, for example, do not.”
Active people check this
But can we do well by mainly eating vegetable proteins? Yes, you absolutely can eat a healthy diet avoiding meat and eating only plant proteins. Gidus adds that the only nutrient difficult to get is Vitamin B12, but you can take a multivitamin or B-vitamin supplement to get it easily. Plant-based diets have numerous benefits, mainly because they tend to be lower in fat and higher in fiber than diets with a lot of animal protein.
Studies show that people who eat more vegetable protein tend to get more antioxidants, but on the other hand if they don’t maintain a good balance, they may lack some other essential vitamins and minerals. On this matter, Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, director of Sports Nutrition and Performance at the University of Miami, addresses that “those who eat poorly are at risk for deficiencies in micro-nutrients like iron, calcium, zinc, vitamins D and B12, and essential fats and amino acids.”
When you’re active, keeping these minerals, vitamins and essential fats in check becomes more important for energy production and recovery. This is why Gidus says, “As long as you make sure you have a plant protein at every meal, you can easily meet your needs, even if you are very active. For example: soymilk or nuts/seeds in the morning, beans at lunch, and tofu or tempeh at dinnertime. Most people (especially active men) eat more protein than they really need. It doesn’t take much protein to meet our needs, even if you are active.”
Your shopping list
Dorfman recommends these products when looking to include some sources of vegetable protein in your diet:
Boca: Veggie burgers and frozen vegetarian foods
Clif & Luna: Vegan energy bars
Eden: Soy milk and pasta
Ener-G: Egg substitute for baking
Fantastic Foods: Bean dip mixes and dried soups
Field Roast: Vegan sandwich slices
Gardenburger: Frozen meat substitutes
Lightlife: Meat substitutes and meals
Linda Loma: Meat substitutes and non-dairy beverages
Morningstar Farms: Frozen meat substitutes
Nasoya: Tofu and tofu-based products
Yves: Meat substitutes and vegan prepared meals
Sources:
Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, LMHC, is Director of Sports Nutrition and Performance at the University of Miami. She can be reached at: ldorfman@med.miami.edu
Tara Gidus. Team Dietitian, Orlando Magic. Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. The “Diet Diva” on The Daily Buzz TV show. Nutrition Consultant, UCF Athletics. Healthy Eating Expert, www.healthline.com
There was a time where eating meat was believed to be the worst meal that you could ever have. From increasing the risk of cholesterol to the added weight around the waist, everything seemed to point to unhealthy, fatty meat intake.
So, the switch was to increase the carbohydrates in our diet. The result? The same extra pounds – if not more than before.
More studies recently are digging into the relationship between cholesterol and fats, which is turning out to have less of a relationship that we thought. This is because not all fats are the same. Actually, some bring in more benefits than harm. However, the carbohydrates, in particular the ones high in sugar, are the ones that seem not just to have more impact on cholesterol, but also in our waist.
More protein, more weight?
Eating protein is essential for losing weight or keeping our health in check. The amount and type matters too.
Nowadays, we blame the carbohydrates for pretty much everything, but the problem is that when we replaced fats with carbs, we started to eat more “white” instead of whole-grain carbs, which are actually an excellent source of vegetable protein along with fiber.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the amount of protein was evaluated to see that if eating more than 30 grams/meal (the equivalent to 4 ounces of chicken, soy, fish, lean beef or dairy) increased the rate of muscle protein more than 50% as this amount does. Eating more, 12 ounces, gave exactly the same results as eating 4 ounces.
What happens with the 8 extra ounces? The excess can end up as glucose or fat. So, don’t reserve your protein intake to the last meal of the day. Is a 12-ounce porterhouse steak a familiar supper? Don’t let it be, instead spread it out throughout the day to keep building your muscles and activating your metabolism.
If protein intake is critical to fulfill your dietary goals, so are the sources. Tara Gidus, team dietitian for the Orlando Magic and board certified specialist in sports dietetics, points out that there was an overreaction to labeling all red meat as bad. There are 29 cuts of lean red meat and you can easily include some in a healthy diet several times per week. As long as people use portion control and choose lean animal protein, it can fit easily into a healthy diet.
That being said, there is a lot of very well designed scientific studies showing the benefits of reducing animal protein and having plant-based proteins when it comes to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
There’s more than meat!
Before asking to your butcher for your next lean pork chop cut, consider including in your shopping cart these great vegetable proteins: soy (anything from edamame and soy nuts to veggie burgers and tempeh), soy protein powder in a smoothie, quinoa, hemp (powder or milk), beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, red beans, white beans, lentils, black-eyed peas), nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower).
Gidus explains that the difference between an animal protein and a vegetable is that “some plant-based proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids, but if you eat a combination of various plant foods, you’ll get them. Soy, quinoa, and hemp all have all of the essential amino acids, but beans, for example, do not.”
Active people check this
But can we do well by mainly eating vegetable proteins? Yes, you absolutely can eat a healthy diet avoiding meat and eating only plant proteins. Gidus adds that the only nutrient difficult to get is Vitamin B12, but you can take a multivitamin or B-vitamin supplement to get it easily. Plant-based diets have numerous benefits, mainly because they tend to be lower in fat and higher in fiber than diets with a lot of animal protein.
Studies show that people who eat more vegetable protein tend to get more antioxidants, but on the other hand if they don’t maintain a good balance, they may lack some other essential vitamins and minerals. On this matter, Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, director of Sports Nutrition and Performance at the University of Miami, addresses that “those who eat poorly are at risk for deficiencies in micro-nutrients like iron, calcium, zinc, vitamins D and B12, and essential fats and amino acids.”
When you’re active, keeping these minerals, vitamins and essential fats in check becomes more important for energy production and recovery. This is why Gidus says, “As long as you make sure you have a plant protein at every meal, you can easily meet your needs, even if you are very active. For example: soymilk or nuts/seeds in the morning, beans at lunch, and tofu or tempeh at dinnertime. Most people (especially active men) eat more protein than they really need. It doesn’t take much protein to meet our needs, even if you are active.”
Your shopping list
Dorfman recommends these products when looking to include some sources of vegetable protein in your diet:
Boca: Veggie burgers and frozen vegetarian foods
Clif & Luna: Vegan energy bars
Eden: Soy milk and pasta
Ener-G: Egg substitute for baking
Fantastic Foods: Bean dip mixes and dried soups
Field Roast: Vegan sandwich slices
Gardenburger: Frozen meat substitutes
Lightlife: Meat substitutes and meals
Linda Loma: Meat substitutes and non-dairy beverages
Morningstar Farms: Frozen meat substitutes
Nasoya: Tofu and tofu-based products
Yves: Meat substitutes and vegan prepared meals
Sources:
Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, LMHC, is Director of Sports Nutrition and Performance at the University of Miami. She can be reached at: ldorfman@med.miami.edu
Tara Gidus. Team Dietitian, Orlando Magic. Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. The “Diet Diva” on The Daily Buzz TV show. Nutrition Consultant, UCF Athletics. Healthy Eating Expert, www.healthline.com