Meat as part of a healthy, varied diet

"The reasons for promoting a varied diet that includes meat are many and it is important to incorporate the scientific aspects in the agenda to ensure a nuanced approach to dietary composition.”

Throughout life, our need for nutrients changes, which means we should adapt our diet to the various phases of life. By eating healthily and following a varied diet throughout life, the need for vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients can be covered directly from our diet,” says Puk Maia Ingemann Holm, Senior Consultant, the Department for Nutrition, Danish Agriculture & Food Council. Below she reviews a number of selected and scientifically based arguments for a varied diet that includes meat.

The Meat Factor:  "The meat factor” is a term for one or more active substances in animal muscle tissue shown to increase the overall absorption of certain micronutrients, mainly iron and zinc, from plant-based meals. The amount of meat in a meal need not be more than 15-50g for the absorption of important nutrients from the meal’s other plant-based components to improve by up to 150% (The Effect of the Meat Factor).

Counteracts iron deficiency: Iron is one of the biggest deficiencies in the world. It is involved in the creation of haemoglobin, the main component of red blood cells. Red blood cells are vital for us because they carry oxygen from the lungs and deliver it to our organs. The body cannot produce iron by itself, which means that it must be supplied through our diet. There are two types of iron: heme iron from meat and non-heme iron from cereal products, legumes and vegetables. Heme iron from meat is the easiest for the body to absorb whereas non-heme iron reacts with several food products that affect absorption.  Food that contains Vitamin C and the 'meat factor' increases the absorption of non-heme iron, while food that contains calcium, tannins, phytate, polyphenol and oxalic acid inhibit iron absorption (Iron deficiency anaemia - NHS (www.nhs.uk). Heme iron is absorbed in the order of 25%, while the external impact on non-heme iron causes absorption to fluctuate between 2-20%.

Protein quality and digestibility: Proteins are made up of amino acids. Essential amino acids, which the body cannot produce on its own, are obtained from certain foods. The protein quality in food depends on their amino acid profile and how easily we digest and utilise the essential amino acids we get from food. Food with the highest protein quality comes from animal sources followed by vegetable-based sources. Meat is therefore a good supplement to a plant-rich diet because it optimises the vegetable sources of protein, such as nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. They are all part of a varied diet, and there is much evidence that the nutrients in the food we eat are utilised more optimally when the raw materials are combined in the right way (Protein quality)   

Taste and sensory satisfaction: The amount and distribution of the food most people eat can be advantageously adjusted without adversely affecting taste or nutrient content. Quality rather than quantity can help reduce our intake of excessive amounts of food as sensory satisfaction rewards us faster and lasts longer. (Taste and appetite ). To achieve taste and sensory satisfaction, we must be open to the potential of food.

This month’s recipe is an example of the meat factor in action.