OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pushing back against dietary recommendations made by a Biden-Harris Administration advisory committee to move meat, poultry and eggs to last on the list of recommended protein sources.
In a letter sent Monday to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Drummond and 22 other state attorneys general said the committee overlooked the benefits of animal-based proteins, like beef, in a healthy diet. The committee, which was charged with updating the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” instead recommended that beans, peas and lentils be listed as the best sources of protein.
“Animal-based protein, including meat and eggs, have long been known to contribute to healthy diets,” Drummond said. “You have to consume significantly more calories of beans, peas or lentils to equal the protein you can get from beef. I’m hopeful President Trump’s administration will correct the errors in the recommendations that were born of non-scientific and non-medical factors.”
According to the letter, no other food has as much protein, calorie for calorie, as beef and other meats. Sufficient protein consumption is linked to satiety, proper childhood development, combating anemia and building and maintaining muscle. Beef is also an excellent source of micronutrients, which contribute to metabolic functioning, cognitive development and hormone regulation.
In addition to pointing out the necessity of beef and other animal-based sources of protein for a balanced diet, the comment letter also criticizes the Biden-Harris Administration for making dietary recommendations based on “health equity” considerations.
Also signing the letter are the attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Read the letter.
