MEAT AND THE HUMAN DIET: TRACING OUR EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY AND TODAY’S CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
What we choose to eat is essential for nourishing the mental, physical and emotional aspects of our well-being. Times of scarcity and abundance offer unique insights into how we as humans choose which foods to eat. While there is still some mystery surrounding exactly how and when we evolved to eat meat, we do know that meat has served as a foundational food for human health throughout the ages. Meat offers essential nutrients like high-quality protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins that support growth, development and nutrient adequacy. The question of whether or not humans are hard-wired to eat meat will continue to be debated, and regardless of your position, meat’s symbolic role on our plates and in our culture is undeniable.
During this webinar, you’ll discover the history of meat-eating, starting with our earliest ancestors to meat’s role in today’s health and wellness trends. Join us for a discussion with Food Historian, Rachel Laudan, PhD, and Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner, PhD who will unpack this “meaty” topic, combining a historical perspective with a little food for thought on what it means for our contemporary food and health environment.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine the evidence on meat-eating as one of the first major evolutionary changes among the earliest humans
- Identify ways in which meat-eating may have provided humans with developmental advantages, including the impact of specific nutrients
- Understand the cultural significance of meat-eating and implications for nutrition counseling
Continuing Education:
If you are a health professional seeking complimentary continuing education credits, check out the Beef Nutrition Education Hub. This webinar has been approved for 1 credit by the Commission on Dietetic Registration and you can download a continuing education certificate by accessing content through the Beef Nutrition Education Hub.
beef and diet trends
When it comes to choosing an eating style that works for you, there are many choices. Most healthy diets have a lot in common and beef plays an essential role in many healthy diets as an authentic high-quality protein with ten essential nutrients, like iron, zinc and B-vitamins.
beef's protein
One 3 oz cooked serving of beef provides 25 grams, roughly 50% of your Daily Value, of this important nutrient that supports strong, lean bodies—making it an excellent source!
beef in a healthy, sustainable diet
Learn how beef promotes health and helps prevent nutrient deficiencies, and the ways in which cattle play a unique role in our food system by upcycling inedible plants to high-quality protein.
beef and heart health
Research on heart health shows that eating lean beef can be a solution to one of America’s greatest health challenges. Lean beef can help lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.