Many individuals are living off protein bars because the persuasion of the high-protein trend on social media is tempting. While protein bars have their place, ignoring red meat means missing out on one of the most nutrient-rich foods available.
Despite negative environmental factors, animal welfare and articles stating ground beef causes diabetes and cancer, ignoring red meat means missing out on one of the most nutrient-rich foods available and red meat is abundant in a variety of vitamins and minerals.
People think protein bars save the environment.
Many may be surprised to learn natural fertilization, improved soil compaction, increased organic matter and the promotion of beneficial microorganisms are a few ways livestock grazing is beneficial for soil quality and land regeneration.
Cattle are the largest contributor to methane gas in the atmosphere, which is a reasonable explanation to avoid red meat. Methane gas is in the atmosphere for 10 to 12 years, whereas greenhouse gas emissions, produced by factories that come from industrial food production, remain in the atmosphere for 20 to 200 years.
The biogenic carbon cycle is the process in which methane gas is turned back into carbon dioxide within 10 to 12 years. The methane gas turnover is very quick considering greenhouse gas emissions take 20 to 200 years.
Greenhouse gases significantly contribute to negative ecosystem effects and 26 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from industrial food production. Replacing red meat with “plant-based sources of protein” may be more disruptive to the environment than cattle raising.
The Government of Canada reported that 75 per cent of protein sources exported by Canadian factories in 2023 classified as “non-animal derived”, whereas animal-based were only 25 per cent. 43.6 thousand tonnes of plant based protein sources contributed to greenhouse gas emissions.
Opting for sustainable red meat rather than industrialized, out-sourced food, lowers the greenhouse gas emissions and improves the health of people and the enivoron
Avoiding industrialized, out-sourced food, which contributes to more greenhouse gas emissions and supporting local farmers by eating sustainable red meat has extreme environmental and health benefits.
Not all red meat involves cruelty. Many sources of red meat come from farms that prioritize the animal’s quality of life through pasture-raising and proper treatment.
Industrial farming, on the other hand, can negatively contribute to the animal’s quality of life through habitat destruction and pesticide use.
Many people reach for products like a Tim Hortons “protein latte” for a quick protein boost to avoid eating meat. Prevalent additives like carrageenan highlight the downsides of choosing processed protein sources over nutrient-dense red meat.
Protein boosts come with problems. Dr. Franklin Joseph, a UK physician in endocrinology, shared in 2025 on BestLife, an online publishing website, that most protein bars sabotage nutritional goals as they’re packed with additives and preservatives.
Many people do not realize that negative health affects come from protein boosts and not red meat.
In 2022, a systematic review on the impact of red meat and negative health affects, conducted by PubMed Central, an online scientific literature database, concluded that there is no sufficient evidence linking unprocessed red meat to cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and more.
In 2025, PubMed Central published an updated article highlighting recent advancements on the role of B vitamins in protecting against cancer, which red meat has a large variety of. Red meat is also a powerhouse for essential nutrients like selenium, iron and zinc.
Processed meat and red meat cannot be classified together. Grouping an ethically raised cow with a processed piece of pig meat doesn’t add up. That is like grouping an apple and a candy bar because they both contain sugar.
Disregarding good-quality red meat and prioritizing plant-based proteins is a huge set back for the environment and for the body.
Consume sustainably-sourced red meat, not trends.