You are eating too much protein. I can say this confidently because I know that the vast majority of us, US Americans in particular, are getting too much protein. If you eat more than one small portion of meat a day, you’re getting too much protein. If you see protein as a separate food group, you’re getting too much protein. If your diet is similar to the average US American’s, you’re getting more than 2 times more protein then you should.
This is a problem.
Why? Because getting too much protein from animal sources has been proven repeatedly to drastically increase risks of chronic disease and premature death.
People are getting too much protein because most of us have been continually fed the myth, our whole lives, that protein is hard to get, needs to be specifically sought out, and is more important than other nutrients. Protein – all the protein you need – is naturally occurring in nearly all whole, plant-based foods, from grains to veggies.
The purpose of this post is not to convince everyone to become vegan (though I do think it’s an excellent idea) or to win people over to any particular cause (I have many other posts for that). I am writing this because the misconceptions about protein and the protein requirements of people in the US are outrageous and they are negatively impacting our health. This post is just about facts:
– The majority of US Americans get way too much protein.
– Most people don’t realize that they get enough protein from regular plant based foods without having to “add a protein” to every meal.
– Too much protein from animal products is very bad for you.
– Reducing meat consumption is very, very good for the environment and the world.
The average US American adult needs minimum of about 4-5% of total calories per day from protein. Since other factors require that many individuals get a little more protein than that, the recommended daily amount of protein for an average adult (even one who works out for 30 minutes EVERY DAY, beyond regular daily activity), is 8-10% of calories from ALL SOURCES of protein. It is estimated that less than 2% of adults require more than 10% of their calories from protein (these may include women at certain stages of pregnancy and those recovering from surgery; note that working out does not elevate your need for protein nearly as much as popular culture would lead you to believe).
In the US, the average adult usually gets at least twice that amount of proteinfrom meat alone. And most people don’t work out 30 minutes every single day, either. The health consequences of all this excess protein (and fat!) from animal products is really quite shocking. Take a look at this (and the read more from me below):
If you have no desire to give up meat, that’s fine. As I said, getting people to give up meat is not the purpose of this post. But please don’t give in to the myth that you need to eat meat, dairy, or eggs for protein. Protein is found in most vegetables in nearly idea amounts to meet that 10% requirement. The protein is already there, in the foods you’re already eating (or should be), without any need to “get your protein” by adding meat, dairy, or eggs to your meal.
I love the way Micaela Karlsen, MSPH, put it in her article: “Imagine running into a friend at the gym who was just finishing her aerobic workout. Sweaty and flushed, she downs a bottle of water and remarks, “Got to get my hydrogen!” While we may instinctively sense that there is something odd about that statement, in Western countries, and particularly the U.S., people make very similar comments on a regular basis. “Just getting my protein in!” someone will cheerfully report as they dig into General Tso’s chicken or crack open a hard-boiled egg.”
If you’re still not convinced, check out this great chart showing the amounts of various nutrient contents, including protein amounts, of lots of veggies.
Aside from no needing it, and aside from the negative health consequences of eating too much of it, there are huge benefits to the world as a whole from cutting down on our meat consumption. Leading scientists believe that reducing our meat consumption could DOUBLE the world’s food supply. As you can see from the graphic, even just one meatless (AND egg-less, and dairy-less) day a week can make a massive difference.
Eating less meat can seem daunting if you’ve grown up in a culture that tells you to eat meat with every or nearly every meal, but with a few good recipe ideas, I honestly think you’ll be surprised by how easy and satisfying it can be to cut meat, dairy, and eggs to no more than 6oz a day. Why not try out meatless Mondays? Or check out my “Quick and Easy” recipes over on the right —>
There are hundreds of resources out there that make reducing your meat consumption and eating ethically much easier. If you need any guidance or resources, please don’t hesitate to contact me, either in a comment on this article or asking a question on our Facebook page.
If you’re worried about getting enough protein on a vegetarian diet, you may be in for a surprise. Are you sitting down? The truth is, most Americans get way too much protein, and vegetarians can easily get more than enough protein in their diet as well.:
1 serve of protein per day is not enough let alone too much. I’m not a body builder or a meat head of any sorts, in fact I don’t even go to the gym, but I am nutritionally educated enough to know that protein from animal sources has not cause any diseases. Yes there have been theories but, they have all been inconclusive. Although Americans may eat too much protein, they may not need to go to the extreme of cutting back to one serve. Protein is a macronutrient, a vital macronutrient, this makes it a separate source of food/ energy so it can be seen as a separate food group without it being dangerous for health. Most people are actually eating too little protein in relation to the carbohydrates they eat. They also eat too little fat because of the hype on low fat dieting. This leads to a lack of satiety, an increase in the risk of lifestyle related diseases and an increased risk of excess weight gain. I agree that people could cut down on how much meat they eat, however going from one extreme to the other is not the right answer
Please re-read the article more carefully. I did not, and would not, recommend cutting back to only one serving of protein a day. I did recommend only one serving of protein from meat per day. That is a very large difference.
As for negative health effects associated with high meat consumption, you are mistaken. There have been several studies that have demonstrated a strong causal correlation between diets high in animal products and several different diseases.
I don’t think recommending that people get protein from plant sources is extreme. If you do, that is your choice. I would have to say that it is rather conflictual to agree that US Americans eat too much meat then call me extreme for recommending that people get protein from sources other than meat.
While there are some people who eat too little fat, there are a much greater number of people who eat way too much fat, most of which comes from animal products. Let’s keep in mind that the healthiest fats come mostly from plants.
I appreciate your input, but I encourage you to read more carefully before you comment next time.
Great article – so true. I didn’t go to all the links, but thought it was important to point out that proteins are made up of amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids that the human body needs to get from diet. The nonessential amino acids, we actually make within our system. What’s really cool, and what I recently learned in my nutrition class, is that plants have amino acids, just not always in the combination to make up a complete protein like animal based foods do. However, our body, we are so amazing and don’t even know it, stores amino acids that it can’t use immediately and when we get the partner amino acids that combine to make a protein, we make complete proteins then. This is why rice and beans is considered a “complete protein” because the amino acids in both foods combine to make a protein, however if you ate rice for breakfast and beans for lunch, your body would still be able to make a protein from the stored amino acids. I think the typical American only thinks of meat or animal products as a source of protein, but in reality there needs to be a major education campaign explaining that there are many amino acids that only come from plants that our bodies need and make protein from, our bodies make the nonessential amino acids that are later used to make protein within our system, and our bodies store amino acids to later use in making protein.
The reason animal proteins are considered unhealthy is because the amino acids in them are sulphur based amino acids. Personally – and this is different for everyone’s bodies and beliefs – meat is okay in moderation. MOderation being 1/3 of what the average american consumes or even less and ONLY antibiotic free, grass fed or free range, nonprocessed meats (i.e. no nitrates as preservatives – ham, bacon, etc.). The body can handle moderate proportions, but in excess meat/animal products leave our bodies acidic (think of the pH scale you learned about in HS science – yeah it’s back). Our blood stream must remain at 7.4 (slightly alkaline). If you go .1 above or below that, you’ll likely be in the hospital or dead. The good news is our body holds a stable pH level through various means of homeostasis. The bad news is, when we eat a highly acidic diet (mostly meat, dairy, eggs, grains, nuts, except almonds) our body has to pull calcium and other minerals from our bones to use as a base to bring our blood back to a more alkaline level of 7.4. Contrary to what most believe, dairy is not a good source of calcium and makes the body acidic and, therefore, the body takes calcium out of the bones to stabalize the blood. Not a cure for osteoporosis. Also, contrary to instinct – acidic foods aren’t necessarily acidic in the body. Citrus fruits and raw cidar vinnegars are acidic to taste, but in the body they are actually alkalizing (Note: There are certain medical conditions that changes the acid/alkaline foods to be the opposite – don’t make major changes without consulting your doctor). Baking soda, in very small portions, can also help alkalize the blood. You can get pH strips at local grocery stores, pharmacies or online to test your pH.
I’m baffled at how many people I know don’t eat veggies at all and are even still standing … baffled. Meat is slowly becoming a side, rather than a main course in our house (shhhhh don’t tell my boyfriend, I’m implementing this slooowly 🙂 ). You bring up some great points Amanda – we eat WAAAAAAAAAY too much protein in America.
I love this article, and never really thought about the environmental impact of meat. I hope you don’t mind I threw in everything I’ve learned in the past month 🙂 I never fully understood why a high meat-protein was so bad until recently and it was the sciencey explanation (and I probably didn’t do science any justice at all here, but this is how I understand it) that helped me change my ways. I can tell a HUGE difference when I eat more plants than meats. Not ready to give up my bacon, but definitely changing how I view my portions and what is considered moderation.
And a quick disclaimer – my advice is not meant to take the place of professional medical advice. I’m just an amateur nutritionist, so don’t go drink a bottle of vinneagar and polish it off with a box of baking soda, I’m pretty sure that might kill you or do some serious damage. If you have serious concerns about your pH level – talk to your doctor 🙂
Thank you, Libby! Excellent points. I love the sciency stuff myself. I appreciate you adding this!