This discussion highlights the need for a paradigm shift in dietary guidance regarding nutrient-rich foods such as lean red meats. It is crit- ical to recognize that a focus on limiting red meat distracts from more effective strategies to improve dietary patterns. In an era when people in developed nations are increasingly overfed, but undernourished, em- phasizing the value of eating a healthy balance of nutrient-rich mini- mally processed foods, including lean red meats, is likely to better serve public health.