The Protein Women May Be Overlooking: Why Lamb Deserves Another Look

With protein top of mind for many consumers, Aussie Select founder says lamb’s iron, B12 and zinc story deserves more attention

MARIETTA, GA, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Protein is everywhere. Added to snacks, promoted on packaging and increasingly part of the conversation around women’s nutrition. But Jaclyn Oyola, founder and CEO of Aussie Select^®, believes one naturally nutrient-rich protein is often missing from that conversation: lamb.

“Women are hearing constantly about the importance of getting enough protein, but there’s a bigger nutrition conversation to have,” Oyola said. “Food isn’t just a protein number. Lamb brings protein together with naturally occurring nutrients like iron, vitamin B12 and zinc, and I think that story deserves much more attention.”

For women in particular, iron provides a compelling example.

According to the National Institutes of Health, women ages 19 to 50 need 18 milligrams of iron per day, more than twice the 8 milligrams recommended for men in the same age group. During pregnancy, the recommended amount increases to 27 milligrams per day.

Iron is necessary for the body to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout the body, as well as myoglobin, which supplies oxygen to muscles.

And not all dietary iron is absorbed the same way. Meat provides heme iron, which is more bioavailable than the nonheme iron found in plant foods.

More Than Protein
Lamb also naturally provides vitamin B12 and zinc, adding to its nutritional value beyond protein alone.

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in red blood cell formation and maintaining the nervous system, while zinc is involved in numerous processes throughout the body. Animal proteins are good sources of zinc, with lamb among the meats that provide it.

Yet lamb remains a relatively overlooked choice in many American households.

Oyola believes part of the disconnect isn't nutritional; it's behavioral.

“People think lamb is complicated and expensive,” she said. “For a lot of consumers, lamb means a rack, a leg, a special dinner or something they order at a restaurant. If we want more people to benefit from the variety lamb can bring to their diets, we also have to make it easier to eat.”

Making Lamb Fit Real Life
That insight helped inspire Aussie Select, a female-founded specialty meat company transforming Australian pasture-raised lamb into familiar deli and charcuterie formats.

Instead of asking consumers to cook a traditional lamb entrée, Aussie Select offers fully cooked lamb in approachable flavors including Pastrami, Agave Rosemary and Tikka Masala. The products are designed for everyday occasions such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, snack/charcuterie boards and easy meals.

“Nutrition only matters if the food actually fits into your life,” Oyola said. “Most of us aren't preparing an elaborate lunch in the middle of a workday. But we can make a sandwich, add protein to a salad or put together a snack plate. That's where I think lamb has an enormous opportunity.”

It's part of the company's broader mission to move lamb beyond its reputation as an occasional protein and into the everyday American diet.

Rethinking What a “Healthy Protein” Looks Like
Oyola also sees an opportunity to broaden the way consumers think about nutritious eating.

“We can get so focused on chasing individual nutrients that we forget whole foods can bring multiple things to the table at once,” she said. “I would love to see lamb become part of the conversation when women are thinking about protein, iron and nutrient-dense food choices... not because it's some magic food, but because it's a really good food that many people simply aren't considering.”

For Aussie Select, education is becoming as important as distribution. As the brand expands its retail footprint, it is investing in consumer education, serving inspiration, digital discovery and creator partnerships designed to help shoppers understand both why they might consider lamb and what they can actually do with it.

“Getting someone to try lamb shouldn't require a special occasion,” Oyola said. “Sometimes the biggest opportunity is simply reminding people that there are more choices in the protein case and giving them an easy way to try one.”

Aussie Select products are available at select retailers across the United States, including Wegmans and Hy-Vee. Consumers can find nearby availability through the store locator at AussieSelect.com.

About Aussie Select^®
Aussie Select^® is a female-founded specialty meat brand reimagining Australian lamb for the American deli. Its fully cooked lamb deli meats and charcuterie combine Australian pasture-raised lamb with familiar and globally inspired flavors in convenient formats designed for sandwiches, boards, snacking and everyday meals. Aussie Select products are Halal certified, gluten-free and made with all-natural ingredients. Learn more and find nearby retailers at AussieSelect.com.

Sources: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; MedlinePlus.

Jaclyn Oyola
World Select Cuts, LLC
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