A few days ago I predicted a Canada's Food Guide and Health Check defense of the most recent bad news for beef, and opening up today's National Post I wasn't disappointed.
Here's beef loving dietitian Lisa Mina's take on the most recent beef study,
"Beef is a nutritious food choice with 14 essential nutrients that we need every day. Canada's Food Guide recommends one to three servings of meat and alternatives per day (75 g per serving of meat), depending on age and gender. There are several lean Canadian beef choices, with eight beef cuts, as well as lean and extra lean ground beef, qualifying for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's Health Check program.Way to pimp that degree Lisa.
Disease prevention is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle based on balance and moderation."
Lisa Mina, registered dietitian, Beef Information Centre, Mississauga, Ont.
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THREE SERVINGS of meat a day?? As part of a balanced diet? I'm no dietitian, but experience tells me that if I were to eat THREE SERVINGS of meat a day, I'd never poop!
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ReplyDelete75 x 3 = 225g
ReplyDeletetat's not really a very 'scary' or unrealistic amount..
some people do have that amount on a regular basis in a single meal...it's just the size of a biggish steak.
hmmmm. a biggish steak each day. I stand by my original statement :)
ReplyDeleteDear Roxanne -
ReplyDeleteI am not a dietitian either but I am swift enough to understand the quote. All it required was a quick glance at Canada's Food Guide to get it. The quote did not say you should eat 3 servings of meat. You are completely misinterpreting the information. Allow me go back to basics and explain the concept of servings to you in simpler terms, so that you will understand.
Canada's Food Guide recommends adults consume 2-3 servings of “Meat and Alternatives” per day. And actually, the 2 servings applies to females. Note that the food group is called "Meat and Alternatives" not just "Meat". If you read it again within Yoni's post, you will see that the quote is "Meat and Alternatives".
"Alternatives" refers to foods other than meat that provide similar nutrients including protein, iron, and zinc. Examples of meat alternatives include beans and lentils, fish, eggs, peanut butter, nuts, and tofu.
The 2-3 servings can be composed of meat or meat alternatives, or, of course, a combination of the two.
A serving of meat is 2.5 oz (or 75g). A serving of meat alternatives varies depending on the food. For example, 2 eggs is one serving, ¾ cup of beans, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, etc.
The rationale for including 2-3 servings of meat and alternatives in our day is to meet our needs for the nutrients specifically provided by this food group (as mentioned above). So, what does this *shocking* 2-3 servings of Meat and Alternatives look like over the course of one day? Well, here are some examples. If your day includes the following, you will have met the recommendation:
2 eggs at breakfast + 2.5 oz of chicken at dinner = 2 servings
2 tablespoons of peanut butter at breakfast + 3/4 cup of beans at lunch + 2.5 oz of lean beef at dinner = 3 servings
¼ cup almonds at lunch + 2.5 oz fish at dinner = 2 servings
Does that clear things up for you? Is it still an unreasonable amount? Is it any different from how most of us eat anyway?
Actually, it is different. Most of us eat far larger quantities that than recommendation.
I think it's pretty funny how Lisa does not address the study at all. Every time I talk to my friend (a nutritionist) about how frustrated I am by corporate RDs, she always retorts with, "Can you imagine how much they must be getting PAID?" Clearly.
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