The Florida Beef Council had the opportunity to work with the North Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Deanne Maples with the Florida Beef Council shared with us more.
“We recently had the opportunity to partner with the North Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for a continuing education event with about 40 of their registered dietitians from across the North Florida area,” said Maples.
“And we were fortunate to also have nationally recognized registered dietitian Jamie Lee McIntyre lead the discussion. And she did a fantastic job, as always, talking about what she calls the modern protein conversation. And we say that because consumers are hearing more about protein than ever before, but they’re also hearing a lot of mixed messages,” Maples mentioned.
“One of the things we talked about is that it’s time to really move beyond simply counting grams of protein and start talking about the quality of the protein we’re getting. It’s not just about how much protein we’re eating. It’s really about where this protein comes from and the complete nutrition package it provides,” Maples added.
She also said, “Foods like beef deliver high quality protein along with several nutrients, things like iron and zinc and B vitamins. And those are important parts of the protein conversation, too. And Jamie does a great job having that discussion, leading that discussion.”
“But I think one of my favorite parts of the evening came after the presentation. The discussion around the room was great. There was a lot of nodding because these dietitians are having these same conversations every single day with their patients,” said Maples.
Maples finished by saying, “it was encouraging to see that we’re all focused on the same goal, helping people make informed decisions. At the end of the day, protein conversation isn’t just how much, it’s really where it comes from and what else does it provide. And we want to continue working with those trusted nutrition professionals across Florida to lead these discussions and also to really be there for them and know what they need from us as an industry.”
Audio Reporting by Elizabeth Sanders for Southeast AgNet.