Written By: Shannon Guthrie, RD, LDN
Good question... With meat/poultry prices skyrocketing, there is no better time than now to adopt a more plant-based diet. By now, most Americans are feeling the pinch at the grocery store. Since January 2020, beef prices are up 15%, pork up 14% and poultry up 12.5%. I ask myself, how can this be - there aren't any less livestock being raised? Well, it's due to a number of reasons - the goverment is blaming the meat processing industry of price-gauging - apparently, there are only 4 major meat processers that have monopoly control on the market. However, shortages in available employees, severe weather issues, lack of truckers and increasing fuel prices are all contributing to this problem.
Meanwhile, the prices of fruits, vegetables and beans/legumes has remained relatively stable, an estimated only 5% increase. The price of beans and legumes are now more than just a fraction of the cost of their animal-protein counterparts. For example, 1lb bag of dry pinto beans = $1.79 to yeild 12 1/2 cup servings ($.14/serving) whereas 1lb lean ground beef = $6.14/lb to yeild 4 servings ($1.53/serving), thats over 1000x more per serving of beans. It may be worth decreasing the amount of animal proteins to save you more in your wallet on groceries since the price of everything to manage our lives appears to be increasing, especially in our gas tanks - its estimated that the average taxpayer is spending $175 more per month than they were previously due inflation with no end in sight.
As we know, animal proteins are tougher on our kidney's to filter, are very pro-inflammatory & acidic to our bodies - so what better time than now is it to replace them with plant-based proteins? Hey, at least you will save some money. Here is a link to give you some ideas of how to encorporate more beans/legumes into your life.
In peace and good health.