Do Men Need Meat In Their Diet?

It is commonly believed that men require more protein then women. This may be because of their higher muscle mass which can only be maintained through a higher intake of proteins. A healthy, active man needs around 2500 calories each day, and women need 2000. The Food Standards Agency (FDA) recommends that a 10 – 15 percent of this daily diet should come from protein. This is advocated because protein, being a building block of the body, has the ability to build and repair many major elements of the body. This amount of protein is equal to round about 55.5 grams per day for men and 45 grams per day for women.

There is no question of protein being important for one gender and not for the other. Without a doubt, protein can be obtained from non-meat sources like eggs, tofu, lentils, kidney beans but the protein content of these foods is very low meaning you would have to consume a whole load of them as compared to the amount of meat you would need for the same quantity of proteins.

Groups of non-meat consuming supporters are on the rise. There are the vegans, the fruitarians and then there are us. Though it can not be denied that it is possible to live without meat yet we must consume meat for optimum health as has been proven time and again both by science and research in human history.

Before we talk about men’s need for meat let’s get this straight: no human civilization has ever manage to survive, let alone flourished, without animal flesh of some kind. In reality, the observation of tribal populations of all times shows that traditional diets include about twice the quantity of protein then modern Western diets. And proteins for these people mostly mean meat.

To put on and preserve muscle mass, plenty of protein use is important for everyone (men and women). It's especially significant for overall health along with muscle mass sustenance, which is answer to successful aging.

But what does sufficient protein consumption look like in terms of a day's menu? How does a man fit 55.5 grams of protein into a single day’s food intake? One thing is for sure: he would really have to push himself without meat. Below are some protein approximations of different foods known to contain them provided by The Harvard School of Public Health and Northwestern University, and you will see why it is difficult if not nearly impossible to substitute meat with other foods:

Meats

Beef (6 oz.) - 54 grams
Turkey, breast (6 oz.) - 51.4 grams
Turkey, dark meat (6 oz.) - 48.6 grams
Tuna (6 oz.) - 40.1 grams

Dairy/Eggs

Cottage cheese (1 cup) - 28.1 grams
Whole milk (1 cup) - 8 grams
Egg (1 large) - 6.3 grams
Tofu (6 oz.) - 13.8 grams
Kidney Beans (1/2 cup) - 7.6 grams

Fruits and Vegetables

Orange (large) - 1.7 grams
Banana (medium) - 1.2 grams
Apple (large) - 0 grams

It’s clear isn’t it? Meat is the most essential and effective way of getting a protein-rich diet and there is no question of gender involved. If anything, men need more meat than women.

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