Soy products such as, tofu, soybeans, edamame and processed soy products are also included. Some surprising sources of protein include beans, peas, nuts and seeds.
Second, let’s review the USDA guidelines on the type and amount of protein foods recommended. The best strategy for “shaping your plate” to improve your nutrient intake is to select a variety of protein foods. Vegetarian options focus on beans, peas, soy products, nuts and seeds for the primary source of protein with the remainder from vegetables. Yes, veggies contribute to our “protein bank account” too!
The amount of protein needed varies depending on age, sex, and level of physical activity. The USDA general guideline for the average adult that does not participate in greater than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, is to consume 5–6 ounces of meats, poultry, or seafood or plant protein equivalents.
In addition, the recommendation to include at least 8 ounces of cooked seafood per week is a strategy to obtain the best source of the nutrient super stars omega-3 fatty acids along with a lower saturated fat, high protein food source.
Most Americans eat enough protein to meet their needs, however; the need to select leaner and less processed food choices, especially of meats, continues to be a challenge for many. The advice to use your plate as a guide, allocating ¼ of the plate for protein foods, is a simplistic strategy that sends the message of moderation, to this post-Atkins diet generation.
The USDA reports that there has been a decline in the amount of red meat consumed from 2014 to 2018; 184 pounds of meat per person per year in 2014 to 171 pounds in 2018, a 7% decrease with a further 3% decrease predicted for 2014.
This decline is multi-factorial; time will tell if it is permanent, and if any positive health disease trends can be observationally linked to the decline.
If you are thinking about reducing the red meat in your diet or want to select healthier choices, read the 6 strategies below:
1. Use your palm, or the size/depth of a deck of cards, as the standard for your meat serving size.
2. On the days you have red meat reduce the amount by combining it with vegetables and brown rice, such as a stir fry dish.
3. Purchase more poultry. Chicken breasts actually have more grams of protein, by weight, than a piece of beef, and fish isn’t too far behindounce for ounce — you are actually getting more protein for your money (who doesn’t like a bargain!)
4. For ground meat and turkey, only buy those with these two words on the nutrition label “extra lean.”
5. If you haven’t already; limit the portions and frequency of processed deli meats, even low fat varieties.
6. Learn how to prepare one plant based meal (for example, a Black Bean and Zucchini Tortilla Casserole) since you get double nutritional bang for your buck — phytochemicals, bioflavonoids and other substances that are protective to our bodies and not found in red meat.
Instead of thinking what you have to decrease in your diet, think about what you can add. Your plate contains “valuable real estate” — space for food that can provide you with a big ROI on your health income or foods that accelerate the decline in your health income. Either way, you have the power on your plate to make an investment in your health that will pay out dividends for a healthier and enhanced quality of life.
