Study shows removing meat or poultry from diet reduces essential nutrients

Meat and poultry are nutrient-rich sources of protein and are typically recommended as part of an overall healthy diet. The objective was to evaluate the nutritional impact of removing a serving of meat/poultry from Healthy Dietary Patterns (HDPs) using an approach similar to that used by the USDA for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Minimally processed and further processed meat and poultry composites were developed, and their nutrient profiles were used to perform modeling by removing nutrients from each meat and poultry composite from the HDPs.

Removing a 3 oz (85 g) serving of meat or poultry resulted in reductions (10% or more from baseline) in protein and several important micronutrients, including iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and choline, as well as cholesterol and sodium in the HDPs. The reductions were consistent for most nutrients with the removal of either minimally processed (fresh) or further processed meat or poultry, and even after adjusting for changes in calories.

In conclusion, the results of this food modeling study show that removing a serving of meat and poultry from HDPs resulted in reductions in protein and several essential nutrients.

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