Nina, a former vegitarian herself, has been pitching this meat-based stuff since writing her book, The Big Fat Surprise, in 2014. She has a degree in American Studies from Stanford and a master's in Latin American Studies from Oxford. So, of course, she's now an expert in nutrition. Hold it, I forgot, she holds a PHD from the University of Reading (which nobody has ever heard of).
Is she a beef industry mouthpiece who's FOS? That depends on whether you like eating meat.
Meat Will Make America Healthy Again
Federal guidelines favor inferior plant-based protein.
By Nina Teicholz, WSJ
March 11, 2025 5:28 pm ET
A seventh grader carries her plate which consists of chili, rice, mandarins, cherry tomatoes and baked chips at a public school in Brooklyn, N.Y., Feb. 10, 2023. Photo: Associated Press
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have committed to “make America healthy again.” Achieving that goal requires revising the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are jointly produced by the two departments. They influence everything from school lunches to nursing-home meals but fail to reflect the latest science on protein.
Protein is foundational for childhood growth, brain development and immune function. Yet according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data in 2015-16, nearly 15% of American children 9 to 14 and 30% of teens 15 to 19 didn’t meet the government’s median minimum protein standard.
As people age, their muscles become less responsive to protein, making it harder to build muscle mass, avoid osteoporosis and fight illness. But there are no separate protein guidelines for older adults, many of whom don’t even clear the current bar. A 2019 study of nearly 12,000 adults age 51 and older found that nearly half of those over 70 weren’t meeting recommended daily protein levels.
The federal protein category includes not only meat, fish, seafood and eggs but beans, peas, nuts, seeds, soy products and lentils. Most plant-based proteins lack at least one of the nine essential amino acids that comprise a “complete protein.” Plant-based sources are also harder to absorb. Four ounces of lean beef provides 24 grams of protein and 155 calories. It would take six tablespoons of peanut butter—between 500 and 600 calories—to match that protein amount. (Dairy products, most of which are good sources of animal protein, are a separate category in the federal guidelines.)
In 2005 federal recommendations dropped from 6 ounces of animal protein a day to 5.5 ounces of any type of protein. Worse, the guidelines use an inaccurate “ounce equivalent” measure to equate different protein sources. The body can synthesize at least two to four times as much protein from beef, eggs and pork as it can from “ounce equivalent” quantities of kidney beans, nuts or peanut butter.
Ms. Rollins and Mr. Kennedy should reject suggestions from an expert committee that the 2025-30 federal guidelines place an even greater emphasis on plant-based proteins and that they recommend “reducing intakes of red and processed meats.” As the Agriculture Department found in 2010, there is either “no relationship” or a “limited inconsistent” relationship between any protein type and chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The National Academy of Medicine should also increase its recommended 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Studies find that 1.2 to 1.6 grams is a better range for weight loss, muscle maintenance, recovery from illness and overall well-being, especially for children and older adults.
The Trump administration can ensure that federal dietary guidelines recognize the role of high-quality protein in improving Americans’ health.
Ms. Teicholz writes the Substack column “Unsettled Science” and is author of “The Big Fat Surprise.”
Comments