Does Broccoli Really Have More Protein Than Beef?

It has been a huge debate that has been going on between meat eaters and vegans everywhere.

Does broccoli really contain more protein than meat?

According to the activist group VeganStreet.com, “Beef has 6.4 grams of protein/100 calories” and “Broccoli has 11.1 grams of protein/100 calories."

On first thought, you might think: "Holy shit! I need to eat more broccoli!"

But this meme is a bit misleading, at best.

It seems like this simple little "fact" would solve the debate once and for all, but is there more to the whole story than just numbers? Remember what you learned in microbiology class-not all proteins are created equal.

According to beefitswhatsfordinner.com,

“Not all foods contain the same type of protein. Meat, eggs and dairy products are considered complete high-quality sources of protein that provide the full package of essential amino acids needed to stimulate muscle growth and improve weight management. Plant proteins such as grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are incomplete proteins in that they do not provide sufficient amounts of essential amino acids. In fact, research indicates that increasing consumption of high-quality complete proteins may optimize muscle strength and metabolism, and ultimately improve overall health."

“Lean meats contain heme iron, which is much more easily absorbed by the body than nonheme iron found in plant foods. Heme iron is an important dietary component for promoting cognitive health, including memory, ability to learn and reasoning. Heme iron is particularly beneficial for growing children because research indicates that some toddlers are at higher risk for iron deficiency, and childhood iron-deficiency anemia is associated with behavioral and cognitive delays."

Let's be real here. Comparing a meat to a vegetable is just plain stupid. Obviously, both-being totally different, organically, and are going to have wayyy different amino acid ratios when compared to each other-this is what people miss 392.34% of the time. There are certain amino acids needed to SUSTAIN a healthy, functioning quality for everyday life.

Here is a fantastic chart via Earthropology which highlights the differences between the two, when compared:

Earthropology even states: "In reality, it takes twice that much broccoli, or over 18 cups, containing nearly twice as many calories, in order to get anywhere near meeting all essential amino acid requirements."

Confused about your daily essential amino acid requirements? Here is a handy dandy calculator to help you figure it all out.

These were my numbers, based on being a 25 year old female and weighing 115lbs:

histidine:  732.2 mg.
isoleucine: 993.7 mg.
leucine: 2196.6 mg.
lysine:  1987.4 mg.
methionine + cysteine:  993.7 mg.
phenylalanine + tyrosine:  1725.9 mg.
threonine:  1046.0 mg.
threonine:  1046.0 mg.
tryptophan:  261.5 mg.
valine:  1255.2 mg.

Comparing my RDA calculations  above to the chart above that, you can see the reality: I would have to eat nearly twice the amount of broccoli to even remotely touch where the beef is.

But it seems that this myth will continue to carry on and sadly some people will still fall for it. When in doubt, read the numbers people!

Personally, I rather just mix the two together and make a nice, big stir fry.