revaluating our protein choices

Wow, summertime in the Northwoods is in full swing and we've been enjoying family time, pontoon rides, and some fun at the library with our Marsh man. I also have been enjoying all the fresh produce. My favorite spots to check out are Conover Gardens and the Eagle River farmers market. Marshall can eat his weight in berries, peaches, and cherries. And I enjoy cooking with all the fresh garlic, basil, onions, zucchini, and any other fresh veggies. Most summer meals at our house include some kind of fresh produce and a high quality protein. Luckily this time of year, the fresh produce is a no-brainer, and you can even get a decent amount of protein from vegetables. One cup of green peas has about 8 grams of protein, a cup of spinach has about 5.3 grams, and an ear of sweet corn has about 4 grams. When it comes to the quality of animal protein, it takes a little more thought. Let's get to the WHY behind wild caught, pasture raised, and grass fed- phrases that can be found on labels at the grocery store and on restaurant menus.  

Before we go into some of the main animal proteins and how to choose a high quality option, we’re going to briefly talk about the benefits of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. When most of us eat eggs or especially fish, we’re aware that it contains omega 3 fatty acids which are great for improving brain and heart health and decreasing overall inflammation in the body. Animal proteins also contain omega 6 fatty acids. Many Americans already consume too many omega 6 fatty acids in the form of processed chips, crackers, vegetable oil, canola oil, salad dressings, granola bars, and fast/processed foods. When we have a healthy balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids, we are less likely to have high blood pressure, 50% less likely to have a heart attack, and having a good omega balance is essential for brain health. If our ratio of omega 6 is higher than omega 3 we tend to build inflammation in the body.  Inflammation makes all disease processes worse. The most important aspect of consuming animal proteins is that “you are what you eat ate”. If we consume animal proteins that didn’t have a healthy diet themselves, the meat itself actually has a more inflamed omega profile. We’ll go into this briefly with 3 main proteins- eggs, beef and fish. 

When shopping for eggs, find a local farmer who lets their chickens roam freely or if shopping in the grocery store look for pasture raised. Pasture raised eggs contain 10 times the omega 3 fatty acids than conventional store bought eggs. When chickens are raised indoors and deprived of eating greens (grass) and insects their meat and eggs become artificially low in omega 3. You can even tell from the color of the yolks. Chickens who eat a wide variety of bugs have bright yellow almost orange yolks and have a richer flavor. Conventional egg yolks tend to be much paler in color. 

Quick quiz question…What does a cow eat naturally in the wild? Grass! What do we feed beef in our conventional beef lots? Corn! This drastic feeding difference to help fatten up cows faster has huge impacts on the fatty acids we are consuming.  Grass fed beef has 2-4 times the amount of omega 3 than conventionally raised beef and usually zero antibiotic or steroids administered to the cows.

Lastly we will finish with salmon but this can be applied to almost all fish as well.  Farmed salmon has been compared to eating junk food. Why is that? The main reason farmed salmon is so unhealthy is the food pellets they eat are primarily corn and soy. On the other hand, wild caught salmon eats mostly zooplankton, zoo invertebrates, and algae. Wild caught salmon contains up to 4 times more omega 3 fatty acids than farmed. Farmed salmon also live in very close quarters or “pens” making them more prone to sickness and thus antibiotic usage. Farmed salmon have more antibiotics administered by weight than any other form of livestock and can also have significantly higher levels of mercury, dioxin, and other cancer causing agents.   
 
Just a reminder of the key phrases to look out for when shopping for animal protein– pasture raised eggs, grass fed beef, wild caught fish. A quote from a mentor of mine… It’s not what you eat that matters most. It’s what you eat, ate, that really matters.

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