Why eat meat? Meat contains protein, which is essential to replace protein in our cells. Proteins are a part of every single cell, tissue, and organs in our bodies. As proteins are broken down daily, they must be replaced by amino acids, which is derived from protein. It is recommended that an average adult consume 15% of their total calories from protein foods such as meats, eggs, seafood, dairy products, and even beans and legumes contain protein.
Soybeans, kidney beans, lima beans, milk, yogurts, and cheese can all contribute to protein intake, because many of these other non-meat and seafood proteins also contain carbohydrates, it is important to read food labels to identify how many carbohydrates per serving. For diabetes and weight management, higher carbohydrate protein choices should be monitored for appropriate serving sizes.
