Exploring Meat Alternatives

Worries over meat shortages triggered by coronavirus closures have many looking for new ways to keep protein in their diets. NBC's Sarah Dallof reports.

(NBC News) — Grocery store shoppers will likely continue to see higher prices and more limited selections of meat in the coming weeks, as processing plants hit by the coronavirus struggle to get back up and running.

Health experts say Americans shouldn’t panic.

Dietitian Audra Wilson says the average woman needs 50 to 60 grams of protein per day; the average man needs 70 to 80 grams. That protein can come from foods like dairy, eggs, seafood and plant-based proteins including beans and legumes.

Shoppers can also try different cuts of meat, or new ways to source it. Mint Creek Farm, near Chicago, offers community-supported agriculture shares, where members receive weekly or monthly meat and egg deliveries as well as a la carte options.

Sales of plant-based meat alternatives like Tofurkey and Beyond Meat are spiking too. Beyond Meat is reporting first quarter net revenues up 141 percent over the last year.

Read more here.