

Microblog: Choose Your Steak – Watermelon vs. Beef


Plant-based diets love to make mock versions of meats.
šI have several posts on beefās nutrient profile. So letās talk about watermelon steak.
š©š»āš³First, letās talk about preparation: Itās straightforward: cook on the pan and add some salt, maybe some balsamic vinegar. You can add vegetable fat, but most recipes do not call for fat.
šŖš¼Now letās talk about nutrition. I was surprised at the nutrition in watermelon. While itās very minimal, there is still some (but very minimal compared to a beef-cut steak).
šWatermelon steak is served as a complete meal. But itās not complete in nutrition. Nowhere near complete. I was generous and didnāt include all the deficiencies.
š«Itās missing almost all B-vitamins, though it does have some folate (thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, Copper, Manganese, Omega 3āall missing).
š¤š»It has a small amount of fat-soluble vitamin A, no vitamin D and trace amounts of E and K. But remember, without any fat with watermelon steak, will any of these fat-soluble vitamins get absorbed?
ā ļøAnd this doesnāt even consider if you can convert vitamin A to the useable form. AND it doesnāt even consider that all fat-soluble vitamins work together. With the lack of vitamin D, do these fat-soluble vitamins have any chance of absorption?
āļøInterestingly, watermelon has some fat, but PUFA fearers, itās only omega-6. So stay away! (There is 50 mg of omega-6 per 100 gram serving).š
š±Watermelon steak has more minerals than vitamins. It makes sense since itās grown in the dirt. But the nutrients are very minimal. Other than vitamin C (at 13% DV), no nutrient is above the 3% recommended daily value amount.
š„©Steak, at 100 g (only 3.5 ounces), has many nutrients over the 20% recommended daily value and many nutrients above that. (Vitamin B12 is 134% DV for 100 grams).
āļøBut if you cook watermelon like a steak, something that nature probably didnāt intend, you may lose more nutrients. Likely because watermelon is 91.5 grams of water (of 100 g).
š§More than 90% of a watermelon is just water. Yes, water is life but have watermelon for hydration, not as a nutrient-dense meal. (Because itās not).
Dan
May 28, 2023 at 6:23 amI wanted to know about how they compare d with their citrulline content and if beefs was more bioavailable.