By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A recent study investigated what the study researchers called “disproportionate beef consumption” in the United States. They defined disproportionate beef consumption as eating more than 4 ounces of beef per day. Using a large survey of U.S. adults, they determined that 12% of the adult population consumed more than 4 ounces of beef per day. This 12% of the adult population was responsible for fully half of beef consumption in the United States (1).

Who is eating these “disproportionate” amounts of beef? They are more likely to identify as male than as female. They are more likely to be non-Hispanic White than non-Hispanic Black or Asian. Younger (18-29 years old) and older (66 years and older) adults are less likely to be “disproportionate beef consumers.” Family income does not appear to play a role.

Almost a third of the beef consumed was in the form of different beef cuts such as steak, brisket, ribs, and pot roast. The other categories in the top five sources of beef were burgers, mixed dishes containing beef (such as meatloaf and beef stew), burritos and tacos, and cold cuts.

These “disproportionate beef consumers” are markedly exceeding recommendations. For example, the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet calls for an upper limit of half an ounce per day of red meat (beef and lamb) (2). The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans U.S.-style Dietary Pattern limits total meat, poultry, and eggs to 4 ounces per day for those with a 2200 calorie diet (3).

Meat production has serious environmental impacts. Identifying and implementing programs to influence those who consume the most beef to greatly reduce their beef consumption (or, even better, to eliminate meat entirely) could have beneficial environmental effects as well as offering health benefits.

References

1. Willits-Smith A, Odinga H, O’Malley K, Rose D. Demographic and socioeconomic correlates of disproportionate beef consumption among US adults in an age of global warming. Nutrients. 2023;15(17):3795.
2. EAT-Lancet Commission Brief for Everyone. https://eatforum.org/content/uploads/2019/01/EAT_brief_everyone.pdf. 2019.
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. DietaryGuidelines.gov. 2020.

To read more about meat’s environmental effects see:

Carbon Footprint of Vegan vs. Meat Pizza

The Water Footprint of a Vegan versus a Meat Burrito

MEAT SALES

According to Acosta Sales and Marketing, the U.S.D.A. predicts that red
meat will drop one percent in per capita consumption between 2014 and
2015, with broiler chicken consumption expected to increase 1.6%.

In their survey, Acosta found that sixty-eight percent of shoppers who
are buying less meat cite cost as the primary reason, followed by health
and wellness at 39%. More than 31% of all shoppers and fifty percent of
18-34 year olds indicated that they purchased meat alternatives over the
past year. Twenty one percent of all U.S. shopper purchased tofu,
twelve percent textured vegetable protein, ten percent tempeh, eight
percent quorn, and six percent seitan.

Reasons given that influenced those to consider a vegan, vegetarian, or
flexitarian diet were:

61% personal health concerns
45% cost
41% GMO, preservatives, animal diseases, etc.
33% environmental impacts of meat products
32% curiosity
21% personal or ethical beliefs

Sixty percent of 18-34 year olds said you could achieve the necessary
daily amount of protein without meat. Fifty percent of 50-64 year olds
indicated the same.

Acosta is an outsourced sales and marketing agency serving consumer
packaged goods companies and retailers across the United States and Canada.

LATINO SHOPPING

According to an Acosta Sales and Marketing Survey, 47% of Hispanics say
they eat healthy foods even though it’s more expensive, while 40% of
U.S. shoppers in general will buy the more expensive healthy item.
In describing their shopping habits, buying organic/natural products was
answered by 20% of total U.S. Shoppers, while this answer was given
by 26% of U.S. Hispanic shoppers.

Acosta is an outsourced sales and marketing agency serving consumer
packaged goods companies and retailers across the United States and Canada.

For more poll and survey information from The Vegetarian Resource Group,
see: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a document that is produced every 5 years and serves as a statement of current federal policy on the role of dietary factors in health promotion and disease prevention. It is used as the foundation for federal nutrition education materials, by schools, the food industry, and many others.

In an earlier post, I stated that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans U.S.-style Dietary Pattern limits total meat, poultry, and eggs to 4 ounces per day for those with a 2200 calorie diet. This prompted a question from a reader about whether the Dietary Guidelines’ provided any similar limit on meat-like analogs. The reader explained that they meant products like Impossible burgers or other meat-like analogs that were not mainly vegetable- or grain-based.

The Dietary Guidelines identifies “core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern” (1). One of these core elements is the so-called protein foods which includes “lean meats, poultry, and eggs, seafood, beans, peas, and lentils, and nuts, seeds, and soy products” (1). Soy includes “tofu, tempeh, and products made from soy flour, soy protein isolate, and soy concentrate” (1).

While the Dietary Guidelines suggests replacing processed or high-fat meats with beans, peas, and lentils, no suggestions are made for replacing high-fat or processed meat-like analogs. The Healthy U.S.-style Dietary Pattern suggests that those eating a 2200 calorie diet get 5-ounce equivalents a week of nuts, seeds, and soy products. An ounce-equivalent is defined as 1 Tablespoon of nut or seed butters or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds or ¼  cup of tofu. No definition is provided for an ounce-equivalent of soy products other than tofu. The Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern separates their recommendations for soy products and for nuts and seeds. This pattern suggests that those eating a 2200 calorie diet get 8-ounce equivalents a week of soy products but, again, no explanation is provided of what an ounce equivalent is for anything except tofu.

With greater use of a variety of soy products, including processed meat-like analogs, additional dietary guidance is needed on recommended amounts and serving sizes of these products.

Reference

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

To read more about Dietary Guidelines in the United States see:

The Dietary Pattern in Dietary Guidelines for Americans Could Easily Be Made Vegan and Nutritionally Adequate

What Have the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Said About Vegan and Vegetarian Diets? A Look Back

2020=2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Released; Has Both Positive and Negative Features

2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines Released

2010 Dietary Guidelines Released

To read more about Dietary Guidelines in other countries see:

Do International Dietary Guidelines Promote Vegan/Vegetarian Diets?

Mexican 2023 Dietary Guidelines Recommend that 92% of our Plate Should be Plant Foods

Spain’s Dietary Recommendations: Less Meat, More Plant Foods