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Many American diets are calorie/energy rich and nutrient poor. If you're eating 400 calories of healthy food you're probably getting several times the vitamins

Many American diets are calorie/energy rich and nutrient poor. If you're eating 400 calories of healthy food you're probably getting several times the vitamins and minerals of the average American eating 2500 of fried, sugary food. It's probably a mistake to connect the two.

dragontamer 4y ago
Beef is very nutrient rich. Yes, we Americans overeat beef / Hamburgers, but I don't think anyone eating burgers is at huge risk of malnutrition... as much as a risk of heart problems, diabetes, cholesterol, etc. etc. It turns out that a standard burger with beef, ketchup, lettuce, onion, and bread covers most of your macro, and even micro-nutrients. It also is way overboard on salt and fats, but... that's not the particular problem here. One of the bigger problems vegetarians have is finding a proper replacement of meat and all of the easy nutrients meat contains. All amino acids, various vitamins, iron, etc. etc. There's a fair amount of nutrients here. And even the worst McDonalds burger contains a variety of lettuce / onions / ketchup that covers few nutrients that beef is missing (ex: Ketchup has Vitamin A, Potatoes / Fries has Vitamin C).
- carlmr 4y ago
  >And even the worst McDonalds burger contains a variety of lettuce / onions / ketchup that covers few nutrients that beef is missing (ex: Ketchup has Vitamin A, Potatoes / Fries has Vitamin C). The amount of lettuce, tomatoes and onions is so minimal I doubt it contributes to your vitamin intake in any useful manner. If you eat a salad you get 50x that amount of those vitamins.
- holbrad 4y ago
  "Yes, we Americans overeat beef / Hamburgers, but I don't think anyone eating burgers is at huge risk of malnutrition... as much as a risk of heart problems, diabetes, cholesterol, etc. etc." Pretty strongly disagree here. US Beef consumption is about the same as in early 1900's, which was a time where personal health in several metrics was far better. (Weight being the obvious one) Always very skeptical when people talk about cholesterol, it's a really nuanced topic, but the average person seems to be stuck in the 1970's with "cholesterol bad". Thinking high ldl is always bad is only slightly better.
  - JamesianP 4y ago
    It can be frustrating how studies always lump in processed meat with unprocessed meat. Unprocessed meat is nearly google-proof, since every media outlet is busy broadcasting the evils of "red and processed meat" like they're inseparable. Seems like the cholesterol argument regarding meat itself is basically the main one left.
- throwaway09223 4y ago
  Yes, beef is an excellent nutrient, but my point is that the majority of calories in a typical burger meal do not come from sources like beef. A Big Mac meal only has 180 calories from beef, and 1320 calories total. The vast majority of calories in the american diet are sugars and oils. If you eat only the beef and veggies from a Big Mac three times a day you'll get plenty of vitamins and minerals with minimal calories (~650 calories) If you eat the three entire Big Mac meals you won't get any more essential nutrients to speak of and you'll consume far too many calories (3960 calories) The average american has junk to cut from their diets with no nutritional loss whatsoever. Typically fried and sugary foods.

dragontamer 4y ago

Beef is very nutrient rich. Yes, we Americans overeat beef / Hamburgers, but I don't think anyone eating burgers is at huge risk of malnutrition... as much as a risk of heart problems, diabetes, cholesterol, etc. etc. It turns out that a standard burger with beef, ketchup, lettuce, onion, and bread covers most of your macro, and even micro-nutrients. It also is way overboard on salt and fats, but... that's not the particular problem here. One of the bigger problems vegetarians have is finding a proper replacement of meat and all of the easy nutrients meat contains. All amino acids, various vitamins, iron, etc. etc. There's a fair amount of nutrients here. And even the worst McDonalds burger contains a variety of lettuce / onions / ketchup that covers few nutrients that beef is missing (ex: Ketchup has Vitamin A, Potatoes / Fries has Vitamin C).

carlmr 4y ago
>And even the worst McDonalds burger contains a variety of lettuce / onions / ketchup that covers few nutrients that beef is missing (ex: Ketchup has Vitamin A, Potatoes / Fries has Vitamin C). The amount of lettuce, tomatoes and onions is so minimal I doubt it contributes to your vitamin intake in any useful manner. If you eat a salad you get 50x that amount of those vitamins.
holbrad 4y ago
"Yes, we Americans overeat beef / Hamburgers, but I don't think anyone eating burgers is at huge risk of malnutrition... as much as a risk of heart problems, diabetes, cholesterol, etc. etc." Pretty strongly disagree here. US Beef consumption is about the same as in early 1900's, which was a time where personal health in several metrics was far better. (Weight being the obvious one) Always very skeptical when people talk about cholesterol, it's a really nuanced topic, but the average person seems to be stuck in the 1970's with "cholesterol bad". Thinking high ldl is always bad is only slightly better.
- JamesianP 4y ago
  It can be frustrating how studies always lump in processed meat with unprocessed meat. Unprocessed meat is nearly google-proof, since every media outlet is busy broadcasting the evils of "red and processed meat" like they're inseparable. Seems like the cholesterol argument regarding meat itself is basically the main one left.
throwaway09223 4y ago
Yes, beef is an excellent nutrient, but my point is that the majority of calories in a typical burger meal do not come from sources like beef. A Big Mac meal only has 180 calories from beef, and 1320 calories total. The vast majority of calories in the american diet are sugars and oils. If you eat only the beef and veggies from a Big Mac three times a day you'll get plenty of vitamins and minerals with minimal calories (~650 calories) If you eat the three entire Big Mac meals you won't get any more essential nutrients to speak of and you'll consume far too many calories (3960 calories) The average american has junk to cut from their diets with no nutritional loss whatsoever. Typically fried and sugary foods.