Yesterday, I got a call at about 3 in the afternoon saying that the Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm, made March 20th “Michigan Meat Out Day”. March 20th is also National Ag Day, a day used to celebrate agriculture and everything it does. Michigan agriculture is not going to sit down and take this, March 20th is our day to celebrate and we are going to stand up for the fact that meat is an essential part of a balanced diet. The USDA’s new food pyramid suggests 5 oz. of lean protein every day and three cups of dairy!
According to the Beef Checkoff, a 3 oz. serving of beef is a fabulous way to receive high quality protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, and phosphorous. In addition beef is a great way to get niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin. A 2005 study showed that meat eaters were 11% more likely to meet protein requirements than non meat eaters, 23% more likely to meet vitamin B12 requirements, 13% for iron, and 26% for zinc.
For those of you who are active, the protein in meat will improve muscle strength and quality. Consuming meat has other benefits including bone health, heart health, and weight management. In addition, more often than not, studies are finding no correlation between meat consumption and increasing risk of cancer. For more information consult this document put together by the Beef Checkoff: What Science Says.
On Saturday, I can assure you that I will not be skipping the meat in my meal. I plan to have a medium rare steak. I urge you to call Governor Granholm and express your disappointment in the fact that she is taking a side filled with emotional biasness rather than health concern. If you’re not sure what to make, try this recipe for Beef Enchiladas!
Update:
Since writing this, Governor Granholm has also made Saturday Michigan Agriculture Day. Apparently she began feeling the heat agriculture was putting on her. The problem is that Saturday is still Meat Out Day and we still need to fight this. Simply adding Saturday as Michigan Ag Day is not enough. Although we’ve done a good job, we need to keep pushing.
