Adults aged 65 years and older should eat at least 46-56 g of protein daily. Older adults need more protein to offset muscle loss, but there are other reasons, too. Why older adults should eat more protein. But I grew up thinking protein equals meat. And now eating meat is contributing to climate change AND increasing my grocery bill dramatically.
Enter education! I recently attended a lecture on how we as individuals can combat climate change via our kitchens, and also cut our grocery bills. All of a sudden, there was a confluence between my wallet, my health needs and my need to help with climate impact. How can I get the protein I need while hanging on to my money and consciously trying to minimize my climate impact in my food choices?
But….meat is delicious
Yes, for some of us meat is delicious. Biologically, the compelling issue is that animal protein is more efficient as a delivery vehicle. 3 oz. of beef is 22 g of protein, so I can get almost all my protein needs in 6 or 7 ounces. But we’re not hunter/gatherers anymore. Our problem is that GROWING that beef is really tough on the planet. It uses a tremendous amount of feed resources, and the growing cows emit a lot of greenhouse gases. Not to mention transportation costs from the agri-farms producing these animals and deforestation to make feed crop-growing land. Look at the diagram at the bottom of the page, on greenhouse gas emissions. That hamburger comes at a big cost!
Part of the talk was a discussion of how we can swap expensive beef (expensive for my wallet and expensive for the planet) for less-expensive pork or chicken, which produces about 1/8th the amount of greenhouse gases as it grows. And is generally much less expensive at the market. Buying locally (to cut transportation costs), using less meat and mixing in other protein sources, and COOKING ONLY WHAT WE NEED also lead to savings. Much of the waste in the US comes from our own kitchens in the form of tossed leftovers or food spoilage.
Beans and nuts, fish and whole grains are other delicious protein sources that are often less expensive and just as easy to prepare.
I often have a whole-wheat English muffin (6 g protein) and 3 Tbsp. peanut butter (10.5 g protein) for breakfast. Fast and mobile, and almost 17 grams of protein. If adults our age should eat 15-18 grams of protein at each meal, this quick breakfast has me covered!
I’m also a fan of canned tuna (29 g of protein in one 5 oz. can), black beans (14 g protein in a cup) and almonds (7 gr. Protein in ¼ cup.)
The talk was a good introduction to what I can do to 1.) make my own tiny dent on climate change 2.) cut my grocery bill and 3.) get enough protein. I’ve hung the chart on my refrigerator to remind me that meat doesn’t have to always be a default, it can be a choice! I can get my protein and feel good about my impact on the planet and my bank account by eating consciously.
