Minimum amount of meat for health?

[laohaire]

I know opinions will vary wildly but I'm interested: what do you think the minimum amount of meat (per week, day, month, year, hour, lol, whatever) a person should eat for good health?

And keep in mind - I'm asking about minimum, not necessarily your square-on ideal. So if you think a person needs meat three meals a day ideally but could probably be ok with once a day, that's what I'm looking for. Or if you think a person can be quite healthy with no meat ever, I'm also interested in your opinion.

[avendesora]

I read a study that said that the order of mortality was: regular meat eaters, vegans, vegetarians, occasional meat-eaters. It didn't specify what 'occasional' was, though. I was vegetarian for 13 years and felt good for the first part of that, but then I started having dreams and craving for meat, so my body was trying to tell me something... We currently eat meat 3 times a week, and we feel pretty good.

However - that study didn't differentiate between any subgroups - grassfed omnivores who also eat their vegetables vs. SAD omnivores who never eat fruits or veggies, and likewise SAD-like vegetarians vs. whole food vegetarians.

Your body will tell you what you need. People have different needs.

Aven

[WuWei]

Liver, CLO, bone broths, eggs. Occasionally, each would be beneficial, imo.


Pat

[Juvysen]

:

I think it also depends on how you define health. Optimal health? I think we need some animal protein, but can get by without MEAT per se. Yogurt, cheese, eggs, etc, can go a long way. It's still animal products, though. I think fish oil is important, too, because flax only goes so far...

But then, I have friends who are vegan who I wouldn't call "unhealthy", but they do find the need to supplement with vitamins, which are also vegan varieties of vitamins...

[tanyalynn]

I think some people could have pretty darn good health without meat per se, if they had high-quality animal products for the fat soluble vitamins and overall paid attention to nutritious food, like we all need to. But so many people are starting from a less-than-great health place (or maybe it's just the threads I read, that's very possible ) that a lot of additional changes are needed so that they feel good, whether it's gluten-free or grain-free or dairy-free or whatever, including maybe needing a lot of meat.

[cristeen]

I think it really depends on the person. For myself I need meat or eggs daily, at least once. But I know many people can be healthy only eating meat once or twice a week.

[Poddi]

Would fish and seafood count as "meat"?

If they do then I have to eat some everyday to feel good. If only chicken, beef, pork and lamb count as meat then once a week is quite enough.

Meat is easier to digest for weak stomach and gives me energy. I personally feel having energy to do things everyday is much more important than living a few more years.

[Ruthla]

Our bodies are all different. Some people can thrive on a vegetarian diet, or maybe eat meat once a month, and remain healthy. Many of these individuals would NOT be healthy if they ate meat several times a day. Others (like myself) need meat (or fish or poultry) twice a day, and red meat 3X a week.

[es1967]

I too think it depends on the person. I've been a lacto-vegetarian for about 23 years and feel great. I'm the same weight as I was when I was in my teens. : I do go to great lengths and am obsessed with good health. I love to juice, make smoothies, eat alot of the superfoods. Do not drink any alcohol. So I'm sure its the combinations of everything that I do that works for me.

[reducereuserecycle]

personally, i eat meat once or twice a week and that seems to work for me. i tried vegetarian for several months one time and that worked too.

[reducereuserecycle]

oh, and i am a strong believer in the blood type diet. if you've never read about it go to www.dadamo.com it is very interesting and can make you feel great!

[Holiztic]

You might be interested to read Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A Price, as a lot of his work explored and compared how much meat/dairy/grain/veg each culture ate and what their health was like. For instance, he found the healthiest were the cultures that ate the most dairy (raw, 'organic' by default of course, full fat, local of course and often fermented) and seafoods, with meat anywhere from a couple times a month to every meal. The least healthy were of course the people that had converted to a processed white flour/sugar diet, and in between were the cultures that relied heavily on grains and veggies with minimal (but still present) meat/dairy.

I personally feel best when I eat meat daily (though not at all meals).

I have been lacto-ovo, vegan, low-fat "politically correct" omnivore, and now meat/egg/dairy heavy Traditional Foods, so I have definitely been able to see how I did on each diet.

Finally, WHAT meat you eat makes a significant difference in the nutrition of it. Organic, pastured/grass-fed, with the fat (for the fat soluble vitamins/activators) and ideally organ meats (I am STILL working on that one after 6 years of TF) are a world different from factory farmed, CAFO (even organic) meats with all the fat removed!

Regarding the order of mortality, keep in mind that "regular meat eaters" are likely to be people eating cheap meat including fast food (with fries, soda, etc) and overall a highly processed diet, smoking was likely higher in that group, too, as well as alcohol consumption. I have no idea what study this was, so I can only guess, but if it was done in the last 30 years or so and in this or another "industrialized" country, I would definitely make the above guess.

[Liquesce]

I really don't think most anyone (barring relevant allergies, medical conditions, or a lack of access to alternative options) needs meat, but I do think going without entails a lot more work and micromanagement for some people than it does for others.

[reeseccup]

I believe through lots of research and seeing first hand results, the average adult person (one that gets a reasonable amount of exercise several times a week) for good health needs about 5-7 (depending on size and activity level) oz. of protein a day, with 2-3 oz of that protein from a flesh (I count fish as flesh) source.

There are always exceptions to the "rules" though.

[crunchy_mama]

For me personally at least once daily, at least. I have tried doing healthy whole food vegetarian meals it does not work for my body. I also like to eat copious amounts of vegetables- ideally greens daily. Nuts and seeds. No grains or dairy and lots of good fat. Meat I try to use at least organic and the most part grassfed or wild(deer).

[kohlby]

I don't need any meat. I was ovo-lacto vegetarian for 15 years. It worked great for me - though I can't imagine going vegan. I started eating chicken and turkey again when I had to give up dairy and soy when my second child had an allergy. I resumed a vegetarian diet but then once again added poultry back in - this time because I have to be on a diabetic diet for life. (I'm not diabetic but have severe insulin resistance so the hopes is that this can prevent me from getting diabetes). I don't notice a difference between eating meat and not eating meat. I eat lean chicken or turkey 5-7 times a week.

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by Holiztic

Finally, WHAT meat you eat makes a significant difference in the nutrition of it. Organic, pastured/grass-fed, with the fat (for the fat soluble vitamins/activators) and ideally organ meats (I am STILL working on that one after 6 years of TF) are a world different from factory farmed, CAFO (even organic) meats with all the fat removed!

I completely agree with that. We eat meat daily, at least once. It works for us, but I really think it depends on the person and what type of meat they eat.

[reeseccup]

Oh, totally! Quality is VERY important when it comes to meat, or anything for that matter, do the best quality you can afford.

[northerngirl]

I think that every body is different and therefore you need to find the diet that works for you wither it be meat or no meat.
I have been lacto-ovo veg for ~9 years. With the addition of my daughter in 2006 I started eating chicken and taking CLO. I was having dreams of eating meat, so I figured I should be eating some meat.

Fast forward to today, pregnant, and I just recently found out that I have a low wheat/gluten intolerance and was suggested to only have it 2x per week.
I want to start adding more meat into my diet.

If any of those vegetarians who started eating meat again could give me some pointers suggestions/recipes please. I have no idea how to cook meat or what to eat. Please pm me. Thanks.

[kathymuggle]

I eat meat about 3 times a week. I am overweight, but in good health and I feel good.