The pandemic has affected the daily life from the people on the streets to the multi-billion dollar businesses. But one industry that has been struck hard by the COVID-19 is the livestock industry, which leads it to go unscathed and make companies go bankrupt. As Coronavirus spread from east countries to the west, we have seen a significant amount of description in society and the economy. The normalcy has been taken out of the daily working of food supply chains.
During the initial weeks of the outbreak, we saw meat lovers hoarding up eggs and their favorite meat for a reason. While trying to keep up with the virus, supermarkets were already struggling to keep up with a surge in demand for livestock, so the shelves don’t stay empty for too long.
Poultry Farming Got The Sucker Punch
COVID-19 made a temporary shortage of even eggs around the states. However, with the help of logistics shifting to supermarkets from closed food-service customers, the problem was resolved. United Egg Producer (UEP) is one of the biggest egg farmer associations present in the US came out with the statement that said. “UEP’s farmers are committed to providing people of America consistent supply of eggs who have recently faced empty shelves of eggs in the market due to outbreak.”
Processing Plants Faced Issues
To contain the virus’s spread, hundreds of poultry processing plants were forced to shut down their processing lines. Thus, making it even hard for poultry meat farmers to send a sufficient amount of meat in the market.
The giant Meat processing company Tyson warned the government in April about the food supply chain is in danger of shredded into pieces. The chairman of the company said he fears that millions of animals will need to be destroyed as the US hits the massive processing facilities closure.
Beyond Milk And Veggies, What Nurtrion Does Live Stock Provides
We are currently 13% of the total energy we get from our eating food from milk, meat, and eggs. In addition to this, 28% of the whole protein people consume in developed countries comes mainly from these three food products. Given below are some figures which show us how livestock is essential for both developed as well as developing countries.
There’s a debate going on how livestock products can help achieve the micronutrient intakes as they contain a high volume of essential micronutrients. Also, substantial scientific research shows that livestock products have positive nutritional outcomes when served to children and adults.
If you look at the nutritional profile of milk, you will be shocked to see the nutrients present in it. The main reason for it to be so nutritious is that it is made to nourish newborn animals fully.
One cup of cow’s milk has
Calories: 137.88 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Calcium: 28% of RDA
Vitamin D: 24% of RDA
In addition to this, milk is one of the best sources of quality protein. Protein is quite vital for the proper functioning of our body. Likewise, milk is considered to be complete protein as it contains all the nine essential amino acids which give optimal energy for the body our body to work effectively.Cow Milk is largely produce by big countries
The egg whites and yolk of eggs are nutritional and includes protein, vitamins along with minerals. If we dig deep, we will find that even the yolk of eggs contains cholesterol, vitamins that are fat-soluble in addition to the fatty acids. These are quite versatile when it comes to cooking, and we can include eggs in our diet in several ways.
The yolks of an egg contain more calories than whites, given below are nutritional benefits of one medium-sized egg.
Protein: 8.3 grams
Fat: 5.8 grams
If you are looking for an inexpensive and high-quality protein in one diet, you need to eat eggs once.
Before the COVID-19, parents used to look at meat products a nutritious, healthy food. But, since the pandemic hits us, the opinions are split between Beef being healthful or harmful for a human body. Some of the extreme vegans are in a crusade to remove meat products from the food supply.
Beef cattle production is the single largest segment in American agriculture. 800,000 ranches are providing Beef to the United States. Every single day more than 76 million people eat Beef in one way or the other. The Beef comes from the body of full-grown cattle, which is about two years of age.
A single cattle that weighs 1000 pounds can quickly provide 500 pounds of edible meat. Given below are the nutritional benefits of having meat in your diet. The below stats are taken from an 85% lean meat.
Calcium: 4 grams
Copper: 8 grams
Iron: 25 grams
Vitamin B12: 82 grams
Vitamin B3: 50 grams
Calories: 250 Kcal
Fat: 30 grams.
There is a misconception about Beef being not affordable, and it is more expensive than veggies and other plant-based foods. Suppose you measure calories in 100 grams of broccoli vs. that of 100 grams of meat. You will see broccoli contains only 70 calories in comparison to 550 calories.
Meaning 100 grams of Beef contain 8 times of calories than 100 grams of broccoli.
The Alternatives For Beef, Eggs and Cow Milk
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak is becoming more dangerous, people are looking for alternatives for poultry food products. Given below have created a list of plant-based food materials that you can use as an alternative for Beef, eggs, and cow milk.
Mashed Banana is one of the widespread replacement of eggs. The only downside of Banana is you can’t cook it, and you have to eat it raw. But that saves a lot of your time, and you can eat it anywhere anytime without having to worry about finding a stove to cook it.
If you are using eggs for baking, you can go with chia seeds stirred in water or juice. This mixture quickly becomes recipe ready gel, which can be used as a binding agent in baking.
Tofu is another plant-based food that can help in giving you all the protein and the texture you need from a hard-boiled egg for your salads and sandwiches. 2 ounces of Tofu per egg is considered to be useful in terms of protein and nutrients. Ready to eat Tofu and white beans are other great options that you can seek to add in your daily diet in the replacement of eggs.
Agar-Agar or Gelatin, along with soy lecithin, is also an excellent substitute for eggs.
Cow Milk Alternatives
There is no denying that Cow milk is one of the best food products a person can have to get all the proteins and nutrients. But if you are allergic to it or might want to switch to a vegan diet, you can always try some other milk such as Soy milk, Almond milk, and Coconut milk.
Soy milk is prepared using soybeans and, in some cases, isolates of soy protein. To improve the taste of the milk, many companies use thickeners and vegetable oil along with soy. Comparing the nutrition amount of Soy milk vs. cow milk is one of its close competitors.
On the other hand, it contains almost the same amount of protein, but the main difference is the number of calories, fat, and carbohydrates. Soy milk provides all types of amino acids. As a result, it is another source that is termed as a high-quality complete protein.
Almond milk is made from almond butter and water, and it is slightly sweet and nutty in texture. You can add it to coffee and tea, which you can use for your smoothies. Thus, it can be used as a cow’s milk in desserts and baked goods.
Lastly, we have coconut milk, which is a lot creamier than your cow’s milk. As it is originated from coconut, you will be getting the subtle sweetness that you find in coconut. The downside of coconut milk is it does not contain any protein and has little to no carbohydrates. It is a type of saturated fat.
Suppose you are looking for an all-around meat alternative that can subdue all your meat cravings such as pork, chicken, Beef, and seafood. Then Tofu is the best option for you. As it is made from soybeans, it comes with high protein and calcium. In Asia, people have been eating Tofu for a long time, and it is an everyday staple in Chinese and Japenese food culture.
There’s a bad rap going on which says Tofu doesn’t have a pleasant texture, and it tastes bland. But you can always go for extra firm tofu. It can be firm, and it can be chewy like meat. In addition to this, Tofu has a fantastic ability to absorb flavors with the help of marinades and spices. So you need to be a bit liberal when you are cooking it.
Tempeh is much firmer than Tofu, and it does have a grainy texture. It is made using fermented soybeans and includes a nutty flavor when you eat it. One of the good things about Tempeh is you don’t need to press it. All you need to dice and slice to use it in your food. It is a perfect replacement for your recipes, which requires fish.
These products can be used with tomatoes, cheese, spinach, and other products that you commonly use to make meat-based food. You don’t have to change your whole recipe to fit in these meat alternatives. That’s one of the more significant benefits of Tempeh and Tofu.
COVID-19 is showing no slowdown, and things can get worse in the coming months. It is better to find food alternatives you can buy from your local store and cook them instantly. We are not saying Beef is not suitable for your health, but it is good to find the alternatives and try new things. Stay safe and follow the instructions laid down by your local state government.
1,055 total views, 1 views today