The fiber in beans, and other types of non-meat protein, is healthy for your heart.
Eating meat is a part of everyday life for many people, but
millions of Americans are making a healthy choice by turning to non-meat
foods to fulfill their protein needs. Restricting or avoiding meat in
your diet can be challenging, but with the health, nutritional and
environmental advantages of choosing non-meat protein foods over meat,
the challenge can be well worth the effort.
Food Sources
There are both animal and plant sources of non-meat protein.
Some common plant protein foods are nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, peas
and tofu. Non-meat protein foods that come from animals include eggs and
dairy products, like milk, yogurt and cheese. Consuming a variety of
these foods will allow you to meet your daily protein recommendations --
46 grams for women and 56 grams for men, regardless of caloric intake
-- without eating meat.
Health
Non-meat sources of protein contain different nutrients than
meat and, therefore, have different effects on your health. Eating
non-meat protein in place of meat can help decrease your risks of high
cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, diverticular disease
and certain types of cancer, including colorectal, ovarian and breast
cancers. Additionally, eating little to no meat may increase your life
expectancy by three to four years, according to a review article
published in the September 2003 issue of "The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition." Individuals who consume all of their protein from
non-meat sources tend to have lower body weights compared to their
meat-eating counterparts, and they have a lower risk of obesity.
Environment
Eating non-meat protein foods instead of meat can help the
environment. The production of 1 gram of meat protein can require up to
26 times more land, water and fossil fuels compared to 1 gram of soy
protein, according to another article in the September 2003 issue of
"The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." In addition to using fewer
resources, non-meat protein foods are responsible for significantly
fewer chemicals and pesticides released into the water and soil. For
example, the 2003 article revealed the production of meat protein emits
over 100 times more copper -- which can pollute the soil and cause harm
to animals and plants -- than the production of the same amount of soy
protein. By choosing more non-meat foods as sources of protein, you can
help increase the sustainability of U.S. and worldwide food production
and make a positive impact on the environment.
Nutrition
Non-meat sources of protein are often lower in calories,
saturated fat and cholesterol compared to meat, making them healthier
choices for your heart. Additionally, unlike meat, many non-meat protein
foods, such as nuts, seeds, beans and legumes, are good sources of
fiber -- a type of carbohydrate that can help decrease your risk of Type
2 diabetes and heart disease. Nuts and seeds also contain healthy
unsaturated fats that can further benefit your heart and overall health.
Considerations
Eating non-meat foods can be a healthy,
environmentally-friendly way to meet your protein requirements, but you
should keep some considerations in mind. Meat is one of the best food
sources of several essential nutrients, including vitamin B12, iron and
zinc. If you choose to exclude all meat from your diet, make sure you
consume other foods that contain these nutrients, such as fortified
breakfast cereals, whole grains, eggs, nuts, soy products and legumes.
Also, except for soy protein, plant protein is incomplete, meaning it
does not provide all of the essential amino acids -- the building blocks
of protein -- your body requires; however, since different foods
contain different amino acids, consuming a variety of plant foods
throughout the day will give your body all of the protein it needs.
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