Can Legumes Substitute for Meat? [Nutritional and Protein Profiles]

Several individuals today are considering feasible meat substitutes for a number of reasons.

Some people feel that meat is intrinsically harmful, while others are worried about the environmental impact of animal farming, and still others have moral objections to consuming animal products.

Legumes are one dietary type that is often touted as a meat alternative.

But first, let’s discuss the nutritional function of meat in a balanced diet.

What is the nutritional role of meat in the human diet?

Meat, fish, eggs, and certain dairy items are high in protein.

A 4-ounce sirloin steak, for example, has around 34 grams of protein, whereas 4 ounces of tilapia contains approximately 30 grams of protein.

Protein is essential for lean tissue development and repair, immune system function, and hormone control in the body.

Protein is generally recognized as the building blocks of the human body, including not just muscle but also bone, neurotransmitters, hormones, and immune system signaling molecules.

Protein is needed for optimal growth and development in youngsters, as well as for healthy aging.

Following that, meat is high in micronutrients (substances needed by your body in small amounts, such as vitamins and minerals). 4 ounces of chicken breast, for example, contains 14mg of vitamin B3, as well as lower levels of the other B vitamins:

The same quantity of chicken breast includes a range of minerals, the most notable of which is phosphorus.

Although while chicken breast is high in nutrients, it pales in comparison to red meat, which is a nutritious powerhouse. 6 ounces of sirloin steak includes all of the B vitamins, with an emphasis on B6 and B12.

It also has a good amount of choline:

It also packs a mineral punch, giving almost the recommended value of zinc in one serving and a good dose of bioavailable iron:

Carnosine, carnitine, creatine, and taurine are also found in red meat.

Each of these chemicals has distinct health advantages.

• Carnosine functions as an antioxidant to scavenge free radicals and prevents glycation in the body.
• Carnitine is believed to be beneficial in avoiding anemia, enhancing the body’s utilisation of glucose, and maybe boosting male fertility through improving sperm quality.
• Creatine has been demonstrated to boost physical performance and, in some situations, cognitive function.
• Taurine is an additional potent antioxidant and glycation inhibitor.

Meat, especially red meat, contains all of these chemicals.

Now that we’ve examined the nutritional aspects that meat plays in a balanced diet, we must consider if legumes (pulses) may play the same duties.

Can legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, soy products, and peanuts) supply the same amount of protein, micronutrients, and other beneficial chemicals (carnosine, carnitine, creatine, and taurine) as meat?

Let’s look at the nutritional differences between beef and kidney beans as an example. A 4-ounce serving of sirloin steak has 30 grams of total protein, while a 4-ounce serving of cooked kidney beans offers 9 grams of total protein.

To acquire the same amount of protein from plants as you would from that 4-ounce steak, eat 12 ounces of kidney beans plus a cup of rice.

The steak has 181 calories, while the beans and rice have 638 calories (including 122 grams of carbs).

In terms of micronutrients, how do the beans and steak compare? 4 ounces of steak has almost the complete recommended daily requirement for vitamin B12, which is one of the world’s most common deficiencies.

It is also rich in B3, B6, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. In example, 4 ounces of kidney beans have 37% of the recommended intake of folate but very low quantities of other vitamins and minerals.

The table below compares the vitamin content of steak and kidney beans side by side.

Except for folate, steak has a higher nutritional density in vitamins than beans.

DRI stands for daily recommended intake.

Another table comparing the mineral content of steak and beans is provided below.

Beans have more copper, magnesium, and manganese than beef, whereas beef contains more phosphorus, selenium, and zinc.

DRI stands for daily recommended intake.

While evaluating the nutritional value of beans, take in mind that, although they are generally nutrient-dense foods, the quantity of nutrients available in the food itself is not completely absorbed by the human body.

Beans contain phytic acid, which has been proven to inhibit zinc, iron, and calcium absorption.

Micronutrients found in meat, on the other hand, are more accessible and readily absorbed by the body.

Meat, particularly red meat, has been shown to contain unique health-promoting chemicals such as carnosine, carnitine, creatine, and taurine.

Beans do not contain these chemicals.

Beans, on the other hand, offer their own set of health-promoting chemicals.

Beans have fiber, which may improve digestive health in certain people; meat does not contain fiber (it should be noted that fiber can actually cause digestive disfunction in some people there is a whole subset of the population that does not tolerate fiber and other plant compounds).

Beans are also high in antioxidants and polyphenols, which assist to limit the harmful effects of free radicals in the body.

Chickpeas are seeds, much as other legumes. Chickpeas are also referred to as garbanzo beans, Bengal grams, and Egyptian peas.

They are the main component in hummus, as well as falafel, chana masala, and curry.

They are a staple in Indian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Keep in mind that the fundamental nutritional purpose of meat in our diet is to offer high-quality, bioavailable protein as well as vitamins and minerals.

From a nutritional standpoint, how do chickpeas compare to meat?

Let’s put chickpeas up against pig loin chops. A 4-ounce serving of chickpeas has 10 grams of protein, but a 4-ounce serving of pork chop offers 32.7 grams of protein.

As a result, pig has almost three times as much protein as chickpeas.

In terms of protein, pork definitely outperforms chickpeas.

Chickpeas are high in a variety of vitamins and minerals, including folate (195 mcg per 4-ounce serving), copper (.4 mg), and manganese (1.2 mg).

Pork is high in B vitamins, phosphorus (251 mg per 4-ounce dish), selenium (49 mcg), and zinc (3.2 mg).

Chickpeas and pork are both high in nutrients, however they contain distinct vitamins and minerals.

4 ounces of chicken breast has 35 grams of protein, but the same quantity of chickpeas contains just 10 grams.

In terms of protein, chicken outperforms chickpeas.

Chicken also contains a lot of B3 (14.1 mg, which is more than the DRI, in a 4-ounce meal), B6, and phosphorus.

As previously said, chickpeas are high in a variety of nutrients.

Chickpeas and chicken, like pig, have highly distinct nutritional profiles, despite the fact that both are nutrient-dense.

As previously stated, 4 ounces of chickpeas has 10 grams of protein.

A 4-ounce chicken breast has 35 grams of protein, a 4-ounce sirloin steak contains 34 grams, and a 4-ounce pork chop contains 33 grams.

To get the same amount of protein from chickpeas, you’d have to eat a staggering 12 ounces of cooked chickpeas (or about 2 full cups).

A big dish of chickpeas has around 550 calories and 93 grams of carbs.

This underlines one of the major issues with turning to beans as a meat substitute.

A meal would need to deliver comparable levels of protein to genuinely act as a meat substitute.

Yet, in order to get a portion of protein similar to that obtained from meat, you would need to consume significantly more calories.

Eating so many extra calories over time would almost certainly result in body fat increase, which brings with it a slew of possible health issues.

In my opinion, it is ideal to think of beans and meat as different foods with distinct health advantages.

Feel free to consume beans if you love them and can digest them properly.

Therefore, they should not be used as a meat substitute. Let meat to be meat, and beans to be beans.