How to get the nutrients you need without eating so much red meat

If you are a red meat eater, there is a good chance that you eat more than you should. The latest news is that Australians eat an average of 81 grams of red meat a day.

Researchers have developed a healthy diet for the planet to meet the nutritional needs of people around the world while reducing the environmental impact of food production. He recommends reducing our consumption of red meat to about 14 g per day. This represents about 100 g of red meat a week.

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Australian dietary guidelines are more conservative and recommend limiting red meat consumption to a maximum of 455 g per week, or 65 g per day, to reduce the additional risk of cancer badociated with eating large amounts of red meat .

So what should you eat instead? And how do you make sure you consume enough protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12?

Protein

Animal protein sources provide the essential amino acids that the body uses to make muscles, tissues, hormones, neurotransmitters and the different cells and antibodies in our immune system.

The planetary diet for health offers a good plan for getting enough protein from a variety of other animal sources. He recommends eating, on average:

• 25g of chicken a day
• 28g of fish per day
• 1.5 eggs per week
• 200g of milk a day
• 50g of cheese a day.

In addition to the 14 g of red meat in the planet's healthy diet, these foods would provide a total of 45 g of protein per day, which is about 80% of our daily protein requirements of animal origin.

The remaining proteins needed (11 g) are easily found in foods of plant origin, including nuts, legumes, beans and whole grains.

The iron

Iron is essential for many functions of the body, including the transport of oxygen in the blood.

Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition in which you feel tired and lethargic.

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Why iron is such an important part of your diet

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Pre-menopausal women need about 18 milligrams a day, while men only have 8 milligrams a day. Pre-menopausal women need more iron because of the blood they lose during menstruation.

So, how can you get enough iron?

Beef, of course, is a rich source of iron, containing 3.3 mg per 100 g.

The same amount of chicken bad contains 0.4 mg, while the chicken leg (darker meat) contains slightly higher levels, at 0.9 mg.

Pork is also low in iron at 0.7 mg.

But the kangaroo will provide you with 4.1 mg of iron for every 100 g. Yes, the kangaroo is a red meat, but it produces less methane emissions and contains one-third of saturated fat levels compared to beef, making it a healthier and more respectful alternative to cooking. environment.

Vegetable protein sources are also high in iron: cooked red kidney beans contain 1.7 mg and brown lentils, 2.37 mg / 100g.

If you want to reduce your consumption of red meat from the average of 81 g to the 14 g recommended daily while keeping the same amount of iron, you must consume the equivalent of 50 g of kangaroo, 100 g of brown lentils or 150 g of red kidney. beans a day.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that helps the body function optimally. It affects everything from our ability to fight insects to our sense of smell and taste.

Zinc requirements are higher in men (14 mg per day) than in women (8 mg per day) because of the role of zinc in sperm production and development.

From all sources of meat, beef provides the most zinc, at 8.2 mg per 100 g.

The chicken bad provides only 0.68 mg, while the chicken leg contains 2 mg.

In kangaroo meat, zinc levels are lower than those of beef at 3.05 mg.

Oysters (48.3 mg) are the richest source of zinc.

Beans such as lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas provide about 1.0 mg per 100 g.

To fill the lack of zinc resulting from reducing your consumption of red meat, you can eat 12 oysters a day, which is unlikely. You can also eat a combination of foods such as 150 g of kidney beans, one serving (30 g) of zinc-enriched cereals such as Weet-Bix, three slices of wholemeal bread and a handful of mixed nuts (30 g) .

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is important for blood health and nerve function. It is the nutrient that most concerns people who cut meat products because it is found only in animal sources.

Vitamin B12 requirements are the same for women and men at 2.4 micrograms (mcg) per day.

Beef and kangaroo provide 2.5 μg / 100g, while chicken and turkey provide approximately 0.6 μg.

Dairy products also contain vitamin B12. A glbad of milk would give you half of your daily needs (1.24 μg) and a slice of cheese (20g) would provide a fifth (0.4 μg).

Vitamin B12 can be found in trace amounts in spinach and fermented foods, but these levels are not high enough to meet your nutritional needs. Fungi, however, have consistently higher levels, with shiitake mushrooms containing 5 μg / 100g.

To make up for the lack of vitamin B12 resulting from reducing red meat consumption, you need to consume 75 g of kangaroo a day or drink a glbad of milk (200 ml) and a slice of cheese (20 g). Alternatively, a handful of dried shiitake mushrooms in your salad or saute will meet your requirements.

Do not forget the fiber

A recent study showed that fiber intakes of about 25 to 29 g per day were badociated with low rates of many chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cancer of the intestine.

Yet, most Australian adults currently have low dietary fiber levels of about 20 g per day.

By making some of the above changes and increasing your consumption of meat-based alternatives such as legumes, you will also increase your dietary fiber levels. Substituting 100g of lentils will give you 5g of extra fiber a day.

With advanced planning, it is easy to trade red meat for other animal products and meat-less alternatives that are healthier and more environmentally sustainable.