Meat and chicken are both popular sources of protein, but many people wonder which is the healthier or more sustainable choice. This article will compare the nutrition, health effects, environmental impact, ethics, and cost of meat versus chicken.
Nutrition
Meat and chicken have some nutritional differences:
- Chicken breast is high in protein but lower in fat and calories than most cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.
- Red meat provides more iron and zinc than chicken but also contains more saturated fat.
- Processed meats like bacon, sausage, and deli meats contain lots of sodium.
- Skinless chicken breast contains no carbohydrates, while beef and pork contain trace amounts.
- Organ meats like liver are packed with vitamins and minerals.
Below is a nutritional comparison of 3 ounces of cooked chicken breast versus 3 ounces of 80/20 ground beef:
Nutrient | Chicken Breast | 80/20 Ground Beef |
---|---|---|
Calories | 140 | 292 |
Fat | 3 g | 23 g |
Saturated Fat | 1 g | 9 g |
Protein | 26 g | 19 g |
Iron | 1 mg | 2.5 mg |
As you can see, chicken breast is significantly lower in calories and fat, especially saturated fat. However, the ground beef contains more iron.
Health Effects
The health effects of meat versus chicken consumption include:
- Red meat intake is linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer, according to large reviews of studies.
- Processed meats like bacon and hot dogs are especially linked to cancer.
- Chicken consumption in moderation is not generally associated with health risks.
- Eating lots of grilled or charred meats and chicken may increase cancer risk due to compounds formed at high temperatures during cooking.
- Cured meats contain nitrates that can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body.
The increased cancer and heart disease risk associated with red meat are believed to be due to saturated fat, heme iron, and carcinogens that form from cooking meat at high temperatures or curing/smoking meats.
Eating processed meats like bacon, sausage, and deli slices should be especially limited. Chicken and fish are healthier meat choices.
Environmental Impact
Meat generally has a much higher environmental impact than chicken:
- Beef production requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gases per gram of edible protein compared to chicken or egg production, on average.
- Cattle also produce methane through their digestion, which is a potent greenhouse gas.
- Chicken only produces a fraction of the manure that cattle do per pound of food produced.
- However, chickens require more energy input per calorie of meat produced compared to pigs or cattle. Broiler chickens are bred to grow extremely quickly.
- Any type of animal agriculture places higher demand on resources like land, water, and crops compared to plant-based foods.
Below is a comparison of the environmental impact to produce 1 kg of edible protein from different food sources:
Food Source | Land Use (m2*yr) | Greenhouse Gases (CO2-eq) |
---|---|---|
Beef (beef herd) | 164 | 60 |
Lamb & Mutton | 185 | 24 |
Crustaceans (shrimp) | 286 | 18 |
Pork | 11 | 7 |
Poultry (chicken) | 7 | 5 |
Eggs | 5 | 4 |
Tofu (soybeans) | 2 | 2 |
As shown, beef production requires by far the most resources and emissions. Chicken, eggs, pork, and plant proteins like tofu have a much lower environmental footprint.
Ethics
There are several ethical considerations around meat versus chicken:
- Chickens raised on factory farms live in crowded, dirty conditions and are genetically bred to grow very fast. This causes health problems for the chickens.
- Chickens have their beaks trimmed to minimize aggression in confined quarters. This is painful.
- Broiler chickens are slaughtered at just 5-7 weeks old, far short of their natural lifespan.
- Cattle production contributes to deforestation for grazing land, especially in sensitive ecosystems like the Amazon.
- Beef production requires large amounts of cropland to grow feed, which could otherwise feed more people if used for direct human consumption.
- Cows are slaughtered at just 18 months old, compared to a natural lifespan of 15-20 years.
From an ethical standpoint, choosing chicken or beef supports intensive animal agriculture systems that arguably violate principles of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Going vegetarian or vegan avoids these ethical issues associated with meat production.
Cost
Chicken is generally cheaper than most cuts of beef and pork. Some average costs per pound in the U.S. as of October 2022:
- Chicken breast – $3.73/lb
- Ground beef – $4.64/lb
- Sirloin steak – $9.61/lb
- Pork tenderloin – $5.23/lb
- Bacon – $6.47/lb
Of course, costs vary by cut, quality, sales, and region. But chicken breast and thighs are typically the most budget-friendly meat options. Ground beef and pork also cost less than most beef steak cuts.
Conclusion
In summary, chicken has some advantages over red meat, especially beef:
- Chicken has fewer calories and less saturated fat than red meat.
- Chicken production has a much lower environmental footprint compared to beef.
- Chicken is typically cheaper than most cuts of beef and pork.
However, reasonable intake of lean red meat can provide benefits like iron, zinc, and B12. Grass-fed beef is also more environmentally friendly than feedlot beef. From an ethics standpoint, vegetarian and vegan diets avoid many concerns over meat production.
For most people, chicken, pork, fish, and plant proteins like beans and tofu are healthier daily protein choices than red meat. But eating any food in moderation, choosing less processed options, and varying your diet is the healthiest overall approach.