[…] I asked the man behind the counter if the Steak Nuggets were such a hasty retreat because they were unpopular with his diners. He said the following: “Well, we were one of the last stores to have those things, because nobody bought ’em.”
[…] I asked the man behind the counter if the Steak Nuggets were such a hasty retreat because they were unpopular with his diners. He said the following: “Well, we were one of the last stores to have those things, because nobody bought ’em.”
Lol I know, but they were essentially making the point that beans are just an overall better protein source.
Now, don’t get me wrong, beans are a great and nutritious food, and a good source of protein, but if you’re analyzing them just as a protein source, then they’re just objectively not as good as most meats, or like you pointed out, eggs.
I do agree that you should want to eat a healthy and balanced diet with a large variety, but at the end of the day macros do still matter, especially if you need to gain or maintain muscle mass. That can be because you’re an athlete, or because you’re over /under weight, or because you’re elderly and need to prevent muscle mass loss to maintain the rest of your health, or if it’s because your sick or recovering from an injury. In all those situations, where macros do actually matter, then it’s perfectly possible to gain muscle while eating vegetarian or vegan, but just normal beans are not the protein source to do it. You’re either going to want to eat quite a decent number of eggs on the reg, or supplement with a concentrate like whey or pea protein powder.
My point is just that beans are not an equivalent protein source to meat, and there’s no point pretending like they are. No one is going to fall for it and suddenly convert. You’ll have more success convincing people to go meat free by actually giving them viable alternatives, not gas lighting them.
I understand, but my problem is with influencers pushing only (animal) protein without considering other dietary factors important to health.
For protein sources, a quick look online says seitan, quinoa and nuts (for vegans) and eggwhites, cottage cheese (for vegetarians) are your most efficient options looking at protein per 100 grams. If you prefer lower calorie foods, beans, green veggies and mushrooms are also good options (high protein percentage but you have to eat a lot). For a high protein diet, especially for veggie/vegans it’s generally better to replace every meal with one slightly higher in protein than to try to add one foodstuff to your diet to achieve it all. For example quinoa or whole wheat options for your rice/pasta. Adding lentils to your tomato sauce and yogurt with nuts/seeds instead of cornflakes will get most people a very long way.