Discussions over this topic can lead you to understand why you eat the way you do. Some reasons for not eating meat are you may have digestive issues when you consume diary or have a pet cow that you now have called Betty and can't think of any good reason to consume any part of her or animals like her. Perhaps you look at a plate full of leafy greens and colorful veggies that will make any rainbow jealous and you think: "I need to eat food, where can I get steak and eggs?"
Without a doubt, your body NEEDS protein to function optimally. Whether you get your protein source predominately from animal products or from plants it is important to understand which foods has the adequate nutrients that you need to reach your daily dietary goals. In this guide, we provide the “protein percentage” of foods. This percentage reflects how much protein contributes to a food’s total calories, excluding calories from fiber.
You can still reach adequate daily protein intake if you have limited protein available and/or have dietary restrictions. It is important to try and eat a variety of protein sources to absorb the 10,000 to 50,000 different types of proteins our bodies uses. Quality of foods make a difference and most times are worth the extra $2-$3.
Researching where your food comes from and read on the ever-developing studies is the best way to keep up with the times of what is best for our bodies. Over the decades we have been told that red meat causes cancer and eggs give you high cholesterol. However, when looking closer at these studies it is apparent that eating red meat or eggs was not isolated in these studies while other important variables like daily nutrition logs, exercise routine and overall stress factors were not used to find correlations between heart disease and the frequency of red meat consumption.
When increasing your protein intake we recommend increasing it little by little: about 30 grams each day, and you should divide this across your meals. For example, if you already eat 2 whole eggs for breakfast just add and egg white (Tip: give your extra yolk to your pet dog, it's great for their coat!). Then for lunch, add about 1/4 more of protein, whether its from vegetables or a meat source. Do the same with dinner. Continue to choose fruits and vegetables throughout the day that have fiber to help with digestion. Stick to this protocol for about 2 weeks.
Always consult your doctor and your RevEssentials Nutrition coach for a more customized protocol to fit your lifestyle and needs. We can help you to understand your own body cues and make necessary adjustments to any nutrition plan.