Chapter 10: Meat
Chapter 10 — Eat Like We're Building a Brain
Recipe 10: The Honest Meat Kitchen (Seasonal Plates, Ethical Sources)
Eat Like You’re Building Something — brains, muscle, resilience.
Your body is always building something. Growing muscle. Repairing tissue. Wiring neural pathways. Producing hormones. Regenerating skin. Fighting off pathogens. Maintaining the trillion-cell miracle of you.
Brain-first eating means treating every bite like it matters—because it does. Not obsessively, but intentionally. You're literally building cells with this food.
This approach works whether you're:
An athlete needing quick recovery and sustained energy
A parent running on fumes who needs sustained focus
A teenager in a massive growth phase
Pregnant or nursing (building an entirely new human)
Aging and wanting to maintain muscle, bone, and cognitive function
Anyone who wants to feel sharp, energetic, and resilient
Women often think of this as "eating like I'm pregnant"—and for good reason. Pregnancy is when nutrient demands peak and research is most rigorous. But the same nutrients that build a baby's brain also maintain yours, support your kids' development, fuel athletic performance, and protect against cognitive decline.
Men might think of it as "performance nutrition"—what you'd eat if every day mattered for strength, focus, and longevity.
The point is the same: small portions of well-sourced meat or fish for iron, B12, DHA, and complete protein; big portions of seasonal vegetables for fiber and phytonutrients; simple tools (thermometer, air fryer, griddle) so you can set it, nail the temp, and eat.
It's legacy fuel—nutrition that makes you sharp now and sets up the next generation.
The Build-A-Brain Plate — food that feeds focus, growth, and recovery.
Legacy Fuel — nutrition that makes you sharp now and sets up the next generation.
Strong & Clear — protein, iron, omega-3s, and color on every plate.
Future-Ready Nutrition — dense foods for busy bodies and growing minds.
The Build-A-Brain (Or Build-A-Body) Essentials
When nutrients are this concentrated and bioavailable, you don't need much:
Whether you're training for something, recovering from something, building something, or just trying to stay mentally sharp through a demanding day—these are the inputs that matter.
Eat like you’re in a growth phase. Small portions of well-sourced meat or fish for iron, B12, DHA, and complete protein; big portions of seasonal veg for fiber and phytonutrients; simple tools (thermometer, air fryer, griddle) so you can set it, nail the temp, and eat. It’s performance food for work, workouts, and parenting.
As a woman, I like to think of it as ”Let's all eat as if we're pregnant."
Why This Lens Works (Even If You're Not Pregnant)
When a body is building a baby, the nutrition bar jumps:
Choline (eggs, liver, salmon roe) → neural development, memory, methylation
Heme iron (beef, lamb, dark poultry, shellfish) → oxygen delivery, energy, focus
DHA & EPA (salmon, sardines, trout, roe) → brain structure, mood regulation, inflammation control
Complete amino acids (meat, fish, eggs, broth) → muscle, tissue repair, hormone production
Choline (eggs, liver, salmon roe) for neural development and memory circuits
Iron (beef, lamb, dark poultry, bivalves) for oxygen delivery and energy
DHA/EPA (salmon, sardines, trout, roe) for brain and retina
Complete amino acids (meat, fish, eggs, broth) for growth and repair
Eating with that same seriousness benefits everyone: kids in growth spurts, teens, athletes, tired parents, grandparents. Think brain-first eating—nutrition so dense that every bite matters. Not perfection; priority.
This isn't about restriction or obsession. It's about honoring the fact that someone at your table is always building something—growing bones, repairing tissue, wiring neurons, maintaining the trillion-cell miracle of a functioning human body.
Handshake with vegans: We stand together against industrial meat. We care about soil, animals, and workers. Where we diverge: small amounts of well-raised animal foods can be the most reliable, bioavailable way to cover critical nutrients—especially for growing brains—while still honoring ecosystems and dignity.
The Ruminant Miracle
Cows, sheep, goats, bison eat grasses we can't digest and up-cycle them into B12, heme iron, complete protein, and long-chain fats we can use.
This isn't just efficiency—it's alchemy. The amino acid profiles in animal foods are extraordinary. When we see that animals can eat grass while we cannot, but they transform the basic nutrients in grass into forms our bodies need, it seems silly to skip the goodness nature designed for us.
We care about algae as much as animals—they're both living, breathing things that give us nutrients. But when we look at ideal diets and the various ways to meet the full profile of recommended nutrients, it is extremely hard to do so on a vegetarian diet.
You can meet needs without animal foods, but it takes meticulous planning and usually supplements. For many families, a little ethical meat makes "thriving" a lot easier than "managing."
Core Nutrients to Feature
1. Choline: Pastured egg yolks are tiny choline bombs. Supports neural tube closure in pregnancy, memory formation, methylation pathways. Most people are deficient.
2. Iron: Heme iron is highly absorbable—your body can use 15-35% of it, compared to just 2-20% of non-heme iron from plants. Pair meat with vitamin C (strawberries, peppers, citrus) to boost uptake even more.
3. DHA/EPA: Oily fish weekly; fish roe is an especially concentrated, highly bioavailable source. Salmon roe is incredibly potent—research shows it's particularly beneficial for baby brain development when mothers consume it during pregnancy.
4. Complete protein: Animal foods make this effortless—no combining or calculating required.
If you're pregnant/trying: Favor low-mercury fish, use pasteurized roe, skip raw preps, and work with your clinician.
Sourcing with a Conscience (And Ideally, a Name)
We want systems anyone could tour with pride. Think regenerative models like Polyface Farms: rotational grazing, stacked enterprises, humane, distributed processing.
Ask:
Who raises these animals? How are they moved and housed?
What do they eat?
Who does the harvest, and how?
Can I visit?
Buy like this:
Ruminants: Grass-finished beef, pastured lamb/bison from regenerative or local farms
Poultry & pork: Truly pastured, outdoor access, fed appropriately (not just soy and corn)
Seafood: Wild when possible or best-practice aquaculture; oily fish 1–2×/week
Eggs: Genuinely pastured (deep orange yolks = carotenoids + choline)
A humane note: Slaughter work should be rotational among trained staff; it's more sustainable for people and kinder for animals. Research shows this work wears people down psychologically when it's one person, day in, day out. Animals deserve dignity, and so do the humans who do this necessary work.
The Problem Isn't Meat; It's Scale and Monoculture
Industrial anything—feedlots or monocrop fields—harms soil, water, animals, and workers. The solution isn't removing animals from agriculture; it's returning them to ecological roles on many smaller, transparent operations with clear limits.
Some will say there's not enough meat to go around, but who knows how to do that calculation correctly? For now, we need better sourcing of meat, immediately. We can figure out the global allocation later.
Farms have sustainable limits. They're not meant to be managed by a handful of mega-operations but by many loving communities where everything can be watched carefully, where farmers know their animals by sight, where the land improves year over year.
Tools That Remove Stress (Our Real-Life Setup)
In our house, he gravitates to the meat; I load the vegetables. Stereotype or not, it works because we have a system:
Instant-read thermometer (confidence > guessing)
Air fryer (weeknight hero)
Blackstone griddle or cast-iron (fast sear, easy cleanup)
Good tongs + metal spatula
That's it. No elaborate equipment or culinary school required.
The Husband Playbook: Burgers Two Ways
The blend: 80/20 beef (or half chuck/half brisket for extra flavor)
Rule: Handle like a snowflake; season generously.
A) Blackstone Smash (Max Crust)
Preheat griddle high.
Form loose 3–4 oz balls. Salt the surface, not the meat.
Drop → smash thin → season top.
60–90 sec until lacey edges → flip once → 45–60 sec more.
Pull ~135–140°F (med-rare to med). Rest 2 min.
Serve: Lettuce wraps, sturdy romaine, or on roasted spaghetti squash "nests," with rainbow sides—quick-pickled red onions, sliced tomatoes, shredded purple cabbage, dill pickles, avocado.
B) Air-Fryer Thick Burgers (Set & Forget)
Preheat 400°F.
Form 5–6 oz patties; thumb-dimple center (prevents puffing).
Season.
9–12 min total, flip at 6 min, to your temp; rest 5 min.
Steak temp guide (pull ~5°F before target):
Rare 120–125°F • Med-rare 130–135°F • Med 140–145°F • Med-well 150–155°F • Well 160°F+
The Husband Playbook: Steak Two Ways
A) Reverse-Sear (Air Fryer/Oven → Griddle)
Salt 1–24 hrs ahead, uncovered in fridge if possible
250°F until 10–15°F below target (20–35 min)
Rip-hot sear 60–90 sec/side. Optional butter/garlic/thyme baste
Rest 5–10 min; slice against grain
B) Classic Fast Sear
Pat very dry, season
High heat 2–3 min/side (thickness dependent)
Thermometer, rest, done
Once-a-Week Fish (Actually Doable)
Air-Fryer Salmon + Purple Slaw (15 Min)
Salmon: 4 skin-on fillets, oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest → 390°F for 7–10 min to 120–135°F; rest; lemon squeeze.
Slaw: Purple cabbage, grated carrot, cilantro + olive oil, lime, pinch honey, salt. Add pumpkin seeds.
Serve with: Sweet potato coins or minty cucumbers.
Other easy wins:
Fish tacos on the griddle: Thin white fish, 90 sec/side; pile with fermented jalapeños + cabbage.
Sardines on greens: Canned in olive oil, lemon, capers, parsley—5 minutes, huge payoff.
Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs (Meal-Prep Champ)
2 lb bone-in, skin-on; salt 30 min ahead
Spice: smoked paprika, garlic, thyme, salt
380°F for 18–22 min to 175–185°F (thighs like it hot)
Serve with green beans, yellow squash ribbons, quick tomato salad
Meat Meets Color (Your Rainbow Pairing Map)
Red: Beef + roasted red peppers/tomatoes/strawberries → lycopene + vitamin C for iron absorption
Orange: Pork + squash or carrot-ginger mash → beta-carotene, gut-soothing
Yellow: Chicken + lemony summer squash, turmeric onions
Green: Lamb + minty peas/garlicky beans/arugula → bitters support digestion
Blue/Purple: Salmon + purple cabbage slaw/blueberries + lime → polyphenols for brain health
White/Tan: Trout + cauliflower mash/garlic mushrooms → sulfur compounds, immune support
Seasonal rule of thumb: What's gorgeous and affordable at the market is what your body wants now.
Iron, Energy & Kids' Menus (Real Talk)
Iron deficiency is common—menstruating folks, athletes, kids living on beige "kid menu" foods.
Your boringly effective fix:
Include heme iron (beef, lamb, dark poultry, sardines, shellfish) a few times/week
Add vitamin C at the same meal (strawberries, citrus, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes)
Cook in cast-iron sometimes (it really does add iron to food)
Keep portions modest—consistency > megadoses
The choline from eggs, the iron in meat for growing children's brains, the salmon roe that research shows is incredibly beneficial for baby brain development—these aren't luxuries. They're foundational.
One-Swap-a-Day Challenge (Ridiculously Doable)
Toast → 2 eggs with greens (choline + lutein)
Nugget night → air-fried chicken thighs + citrus slaw
Pasta → spaghetti squash + Mom's meat sauce
Cereal → yogurt + spoon of salmon roe + chives (yes, really—try it)
Chips → nori sheets with avocado + roe (iodine + DHA snack)
About Grains & "Fillers"
As Lily Nichols argues in Real Food for Pregnancy (which I recommend to EVERY SINGLE HUMAN), many refined grains/pastas act like volume without value.
Not "bad," just unnecessary if you're chasing nutrient density. In fact, many of the carbs that made up the biggest bottom rung of the food pyramid I grew up on can actually interfere with absorption of certain nutrients rather than providing any boost. They displace the foods that actually matter.
Use them as occasional vessels, not the base layer of every meal. If you follow Lily's advice and just had meat (small portions) and vegetables (big portions), our bodies would be so happy.
Ground Rules (5-Minute Upgrades)
Salt earlier than you think (even 30 minutes helps)
Dry surface = crust. Don't crowd pans
One flip for burgers/steaks
Thermometer, not vibes
Rest the meat (juices need time to redistribute)
Finish with acid + herbs (lemon, chimichurri, salsa verde) to lighten and aid digestion
Sauce Bar (Greens + Acid = Digestive Win)
Chimichurri: Parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, red-wine vinegar, olive oil, salt
Lemon-tahini: Tahini, lemon, water, garlic, salt—drizzle on salmon or roasted vegetables
Roasted pepper salsa: Roasted reds, tomato, onion, lime, olive oil, salt
A Week of Brain-First Plates (Plug & Play)
Mon: Smash burgers + tomato/pepper/strawberry salad
Tue: Salmon + purple slaw + sweet potato coins
Wed: Brothy greens + egg-drop + leftover chicken
Thu: Lamb meatballs + mint yogurt + roasted carrots
Fri: Trout on the griddle + lemony broccoli
Sat: Spaghetti squash + slow meat sauce + arugula
Sun: Sardines on avocado (or nori) + citrus salad
Grains/pasta optional. You won't miss them when flavor and color are this good.
Processed vs. Unprocessed (Keep It Simple)
Processed meats (most deli, bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni): Limit or skip entirely. Curing/smoking can form compounds you don't want often.
It has even been studied that lunch meats—those stable at room temperature especially, but any of those deli meats pumped with salt and preservatives—may be one of the triggers for immune issues like celiac disease to develop.
Celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to gluten, is said to require a specific genetic predisposition. However, it has exploded in recent decades—whether through better diagnosis or because our modern diets have created a perfect storm that triggers genetic expression that makes some bodies reject gluten entirely.
Nitrates and nitrites in processed meats seem to be particularly problematic. These preservatives have been linked not just to cancer risk but to disrupting gut barrier function and triggering autoimmune responses.
When you eat processed meats regularly, especially the heavily preserved shelf-stable varieties, you're exposing your gut lining to compounds that can:
Damage the intestinal barrier (contributing to "leaky gut")
Trigger inflammatory cascades
Potentially activate autoimmune processes in genetically susceptible people
Alter the gut microbiome in ways that promote inflammation
For children—whose immune systems and gut barriers are still developing—this is even more concerning. Their bodies are forming the patterns that will last a lifetime.
Skip processed meats if you can. Especially not for your kids.
Instead of:
Deli turkey or ham sandwiches
Pepperoni pizza
Hot dogs
Breakfast sausage links
Pre-packaged lunch meat
Choose:
Leftover roasted chicken (slice it yourself)
Hard-boiled eggs (portable protein)
Canned wild salmon or sardines
Homemade meatballs (freeze in batches)
Rotisserie chicken (real, whole chicken—not processed)
Unprocessed meats: Fit them into a plant-rich pattern. Dr. Rhonda Patrick's research shows that pairing red meat with vegetables, fiber, and even resistant starch from cooled potatoes/rice/beans supports a healthier overall picture. One study showed that eating red meat increased a biomarker linked to cancer development—but consuming 40g of resistant starch with the red meat completely negated this effect.
For kids' lunches, think leftover roast chicken, hard-boiled eggs, canned wild salmon/sardines, homemade meatballs over daily deli meat.
Road-Trip Protein (Our Family Hack)
Everyone in our family loves wild-caught salmon. Best deli-counter grab when you're traveling: wild-caught smoked salmon + good crackers/vegetables.
Skip it totally if it's farm-raised—due to those dramatic omega-3 differences. Wild-caught salmon has an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio that's anti-inflammatory and brain-supporting. Farm-raised salmon, fed soy and corn, has the opposite ratio—they go from helpful to harmful.
It's minimally processed, packs brain-fats and protein, and kids actually like it. Even my boys eat it straight up.
Pro tip: Keep a camping knife or pocket knife in your car. Those packages are incredibly hard to open, and you'll be wrestling with thick plastic in a parking lot otherwise.
Why This Works:
Fewer hands touching it through the cooking process compared to something like chicken salad.
Minimal processing—just smoked fish, salt, sometimes a bit of sugar or spices. No nitrates, no preservatives pumped through it.
Nutrient-dense—omega-3s, protein, B vitamins, selenium. This isn't empty convenience food; it's real nourishment.
The Deli Counter Strategy:
In the same section as the lunch meats, skip the turkey and go for the wild-caught smoked salmon instead.
Look for:
"Wild-caught" or "wild Alaskan" (not "Atlantic salmon," which is almost always farmed)
Simple ingredients (salmon, salt, maybe brown sugar—that's it)
Color that looks natural—deep reddish-orange, not bright neon
Your Car Emergency Kit:
Small camping knife or pocket knife (for those impossible packages)
Wet wipes (for fatty fish oils—delicious but messy!)
Ice pack for leftovers
Tiny cutting board (optional but helpful)
Reusable utensils
This makes eating real food on the road actually doable instead of theoretical.
Fish Roe & Cod-Liver Oil (The Concentrated Corner)
My Pregnancy Protocol (And Why Everyone Should Steal It)
For every day while my children were in my tummy, I ate wild-caught salmon roe on avocado toast.
The studies show children whose mothers consumed high-DHA foods during pregnancy tend to be happier, healthier, more resilient across so many developmental markers—better cognitive function, improved emotional regulation, stronger immune systems, better vision.
I happen to love the flavor—that salty, oceanic pop is genuinely delicious to me. But I understand if someone doesn't like fish.
If so, I also would take a gulp of cod liver oil—something we should all be doing, pregnant or not. Some companies make versions with cinnamon butter flavor that masks the fishy smell fully (Carlson's is a good one).
It's one of those things worth tolerating for 9 months if you're pregnant, but honestly, if you can add it to your regular routine, these are the pregnancy hacks we should all be taking advantage of every single day—whether you're building a baby or just maintaining your own brain.
Why Salmon Roe is Extraordinary
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a biochemist who researches nutrition and aging, recommends wild salmon roe during pregnancy for a fascinating reason: its DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is in a phospholipid form that is absorbed 10 times more efficiently by the developing fetal brain than other forms.
Phospholipid DHA: Salmon roe contains DHA in the exact form that builds brain cell membranes—making it immediately usable for the developing brain and eyes.
Critical timing: During the third trimester, a baby's brain triples in weight. This rapid growth demands concentrated DHA to fuel neuron development and synapse formation.
Structural building block: DHA is a major component of brain tissue itself—not just helpful, but structurally essential.
Safety First
Parasite risk: Raw fish can carry parasites, so ensure the roe has been frozen at -4°F (-20°C) for at least seven days to eliminate this risk. Most commercial roe is already frozen to this standard.
Mercury protection: Interestingly, the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon roe may actually protect the developing brain from mercury's toxic effects—though you should still choose low-mercury fish.
The Daily Routine That Built Better Brains
Morning:
1-2 tablespoons wild salmon roe
On half an avocado (healthy fats help absorption)
On gluten-free toast or cucumber rounds
Squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of sea salt
Optional: fresh dill or chives
Evening (if not eating roe that day):
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon cod liver oil (start small, work up)
Chase with orange juice if needed
Or the flavored versions that genuinely don't taste fishy
Why Cod Liver Oil Specifically
Unlike regular fish oil, cod liver oil provides:
EPA and DHA (omega-3s for brain)
Vitamin A (true retinol, essential for fetal development and vision)
Vitamin D (crucial for immune function and bone development)
All three nutrients are commonly deficient in modern diets, and all three are critical during pregnancy—but also during childhood, adolescence, and throughout life.
Dosing note: During pregnancy, work with your provider on vitamin A intake, as very high doses can be problematic. Cod liver oil provides moderate, safe amounts when taken as directed (typically 1 tsp/day). The vitamin A in cod liver oil is naturally balanced with vitamin D, which is protective.
The Salmon Roe Sourcing Guide
Where to buy:
Vital Choice (ships frozen, reliable quality)
Trader Joe's (occasionally has affordable wild salmon roe)
Asian markets (often have the best prices)
Local fish markets (ask if they can order it)
What to look for:
Wild-caught (usually Alaskan)
Frozen at -4°F for 7 days minimum (kills parasites—most commercial roe is already treated)
Simple ingredients (roe, salt, sometimes a bit of oil)
How to store:
Keeps frozen for months
Once thawed, use within 3-4 days
Store in the coldest part of your fridge
How to Eat It
Dr. Patrick frequently eats salmon roe as a snack—topped with avocado and lemon juice. Simple, delicious, brain-building.
Try it: On cucumber rounds, nori squares, with soft scrambled eggs, on top of a rice cracker with cream cheese and chives. The salty pop of flavor is incredible, and knowing you're feeding your brain (or your baby's) makes it taste even better.
If You Really Can't Do Fish
Algae-based DHA supplements exist and work, but they lack the other beneficial compounds in whole fish (vitamin D, selenium, B12, complete protein).
Cod liver oil in capsules if you absolutely cannot do liquid—though you'll need more capsules to get the same dose.
But honestly: If you can train yourself to enjoy salmon roe, it becomes a treat rather than a chore. The first few times might feel weird, but after a week, most people genuinely look forward to it.
Let's All Eat Like We're Pregnant (The Full Picture)
These aren't just "pregnancy hacks"—they're human optimization strategies that happen to be most studied in pregnant women because that's when nutrient demands are highest and outcomes are most measurable.
But the same nutrients that build a baby's brain also:
Maintain your brain as you age
Support your kids' growing brains through childhood
Help teenagers manage mood and focus
Protect adults from cognitive decline
Support recovery from injury or illness
The "eat like you're pregnant" approach means:
Prioritizing nutrient density in every bite
Choosing foods for what they build, not just how they taste
Thinking in terms of "what does my body need to thrive?" not "what's the minimum I can get away with?"
Investing in quality sourcing because you're literally building cells with this food
Whether you're 25 or 65, male or female, growing a baby or just maintaining the body you have—salmon roe, wild fish, pastured eggs, grass-fed meat, and cod liver oil are some of the most concentrated nutrition available.
Make them non-negotiable. Make them daily. Make them the foundation.
Everything else is just filler.
The Middle Path (No Extremes Required)
Some people go kind of crazy and eat all meat. Others do no meat at all. I like to be somewhere in the middle.
Just a little of the good stuff, and so much is taken care of. This doesn't have to be about counting calories or meticulous portions—just eat until full. The better the food, the less you need.
When you're eating nutrient-dense whole foods—pastured eggs, wild salmon, grass-fed beef, loads of colorful vegetables—your body gets what it needs and signals satisfaction naturally. You're not left searching the pantry an hour later because you're still nutritionally starved despite being calorically full.
The optimal template:
~75% plants (vegetables, fruits, some resistant starches)
15–20% animal foods (eggs, fish, poultry, red meat rotated)
5–10% fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds)
This covers micronutrients and protein without turning you into a full-time nutritionist.
The Nutrient Density Argument (Why Red Meat Simplifies Everything)
Here's the honest truth: you can get all essential nutrients without red meat, but it requires significantly more planning, combining, and often supplementation.
Red meat is a concentrated, bioavailable package of nutrients that are either absent from plants or present in forms that are much harder for our bodies to use.
The Red Meat Nutrient Profile (What Makes It Unique)
NutrientWhy It MattersIn Red MeatWithout Red MeatHeme IronBest absorbed form; prevents anemia, supports oxygen deliveryAbundant, highly bioavailable (15-35% absorption)Plant iron (non-heme) poorly absorbed (2-20%); needs vitamin C pairingVitamin B12Nerve health, DNA synthesis, red blood cell formationExclusively in animal foods; abundant in beefMust supplement or rely on fortified foodsCreatineMuscle energy, cognitive function, cellular energyNaturally highNot in plants; supplement needed for parityCarnosineAntioxidant, pH buffer in muscles, anti-agingRich sourceVery low in plants; body makes some but suboptimalTaurineHeart function, eye health, brain developmentNaturally presentMinimal in plants; endogenous synthesis onlyZincImmunity, wound healing, hormone productionWell absorbed (heme-bound)Plant zinc bound by phytates → 50% lower absorptionComplete Amino AcidsBuilding blocks for all proteins; optimal ratiosPerfectly balanced, immediately usablePossible via combinations but requires planningWhat This Means Practically
With red meat (2-3 times per week, palm-sized portions):
You automatically get optimal levels of these nutrients
No combining required
No supplementation needed for these specific nutrients
Your body can use them immediately in their most bioavailable forms
Without red meat:
Vitamin B12: Must supplement (no debate—it's only in animal foods)
Iron: Need to carefully pair plant sources with vitamin C, avoid tea/coffee with meals, possibly supplement
Creatine: Supplement if you want optimal cognitive and athletic performance
Taurine: Supplement or accept lower levels (especially concerning as you age)
Zinc: Need to soak/sprout legumes and grains, combine strategically, possibly supplement
Complete proteins: Need to combine complementary plant proteins at most meals
It's possible, but it's work. And for growing children, pregnant women, athletes, and anyone healing from illness or injury, the margin for error is much smaller.
The Framing
Red meat = concentrated, bioavailable nutrition package
One serving gives you meaningful amounts of 7+ critical nutrients in forms your body can immediately use.
Plant-only diets = possible but require careful planning + supplementation
It can be done healthfully, but it requires:
Extensive nutrition knowledge
Careful meal planning
Multiple supplements (B12 minimum, often iron, zinc, possibly creatine and taurine)
Constant attention to combinations and absorption
For "natural optimal nutrition," red meat simplifies access to critical nutrients.
This doesn't mean you need to eat it every day. It means that including it 2-3 times per week, from good sources, in moderate portions, makes meeting your nutritional needs dramatically easier.
When Red Meat Matters Most
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Iron and B12 demands skyrocket; heme iron prevents anemia without constipation
Growing children: Brain development requires optimal zinc, B12, iron, complete amino acids—deficiencies show up as developmental delays
Teenagers: Rapid growth, hormonal changes, athletic demands—this is not the time to restrict bioavailable nutrition
Athletes: Creatine and carnosine support performance; taurine supports recovery; complete amino acids build and repair tissue
Postpartum recovery: Iron stores depleted, healing requires zinc and complete proteins
Aging adults: Absorption declines; getting nutrients from food becomes harder; concentrated sources matter more
The Supplement Reality Check
Some people say, "Just supplement what's missing!" But:
Supplements are isolated compounds, not whole foods. You miss the cofactors, the synergistic compounds, the matrix that makes nutrients work together.
Bioavailability varies wildly. B12 supplements work well. Iron supplements cause constipation and aren't absorbed as well as heme iron. Creatine supplements work but are expensive and one more pill to remember.
It adds up financially. Quality B12, iron, zinc, creatine, taurine supplements can cost $50-100/month. A few servings of grass-fed beef per week costs about the same and comes with dozens of other beneficial compounds.
It requires perfect compliance. Miss your B12 for a few months? You can develop neurological symptoms. Kids won't reliably take multiple supplements daily.
For people who choose plant-based diets for ethical or environmental reasons, supplementation makes sense as a bridge. But pretending it's nutritionally equivalent to eating small amounts of well-raised animals is not accurate.
The Takeaway
You don't need red meat every day. But including it 2-3 times per week, from regenerative sources, in modest portions, alongside abundant plants, makes optimal nutrition effortless rather than effortful.
That's not propaganda. That's biochemistry.
Your "Meat + Color" Grid (Weeknight Autopilot)
Mon: Smash burgers + red/green salad
Wed: Salmon + purple slaw + orange sweet potatoes
Fri: Ribeye (share it) + garlicky broccolini + lemony squash
Sun: Chicken thighs + rainbow sheet-pan veg
Shop snapshot: 1–2 family packs ground beef (portion/freeze), 2 salmon dinners, 1 shareable steak, 1 pack chicken thighs.
Prep in 20: Salt the steak, form patties, mix one big herb sauce, shred cabbage, wash berries/peppers.
Tools: Thermometer, tongs, sheet pan, air fryer, griddle or cast-iron.
The Bottom Line
You do the plants. He does the meat. Labels aside, you built a system—and systems win weeknights.
Plate the rainbow. Add a modest portion of well-sourced meat or fish. Hit your temps. Eat together.
We believe in eating meat. We think it's essential—especially for growing brains. We also believe in giving animals good lives, supporting regenerative farms, and buying as local as possible.
That's the whole point: let's eat as if we're building a brain—because, in every body at your table, we are. Every brain has cells turning every minute of the day. Even if we are not physically GROWING anymore, we are all regenerating new cells at every single moment.
