Meat is good for you.
When it comes to starting (or restarting) your health journey, one of the first things many people opt for is modifying their meat intake.
Meat provides a wide array of nutrients utilized by the body for growth, maintenance, and repair.
Meat as a whole category is an excellent source of protein, heme iron, and micronutrients such as B-12, zinc, and selenium. Even the bones, in creating bone broth and utilizing the marrow, have nutritional benefits like addition collagen and rich in iron.
Opting for leaner cuts of meat can help with your health journey, but the fat on meat isn’t unhealthy per se. It’s just that you can eat healthier sources of fat, such as in avocados, olive oil, salmon, nuts, and seeds. Ultimately, whether or not you should be eating less fat depends on your preferred diet.
The truth is, meat can be good for you — but the steak, chicken thigh, or pork chop you choose for dinner is more than just “meat”. There’s food labels, select cuts, fat content, and more to consider.
I am about to break it all down for you, so you know exactly what to shop for at the butcher store Beef, or red meat, comes from cattle. It’s a complete, high-quality protein food that contains all the essential amino acids the body needs to support physical activity and a strong, healthy life..
A quick trip to the freezer section of your local butcher store and you’re sure to notice countless different labels on your meat products. Organic, grass-fed, free-range… do they have any real benefits as opposed to conventional meat?
Meats are said to have a slightly higher range of omega -3 fatty acids which are natural anti-inflammatories. Grass –fed meat often goes hand in hand with organic. These animals generally have outdoor access.
But it’s a little more complicated. Grass-fed doesn’t always mean 100 percent grass-fed, as some can be grain finished — meaning prior to slaughter they consume grains.
Organic meats come from animals that are able to graze in an open pasture, are fed 100 percent organic feed and forage, and aren’t administered any hormones or antibiotics. Although organic meat can be more expensive, it’s a slightly healthier option.
Beef is a good source of Protein
Iron
Zinc
Niacin
Choline
Vitamin B-12
In just one 3-ounce (oz.) cooked serving, you’re getting 10 essential nutrients, including about half your daily value for protein.
Disclaimer: information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.
Thank you … The dietary reference intake for protein is 0.8 grams per kilograms (g/kg) of body weight. This equals about 60 grams of protein for an average sedentary male weighing 160 pounds, and 50 grams for an average sedentary female weighing 140 pounds.
In this case, half the ‘daily value’ for protein would be about 30 grams for men and 25 for women.
Of course, there isn’t a true “daily value” for protein as these numbers vary greatly depending on the size, activity level, and health of a person.
Sirloin steak tends to be one of the leanest cuts of beef making it a great option in a health-conscious diet. When comparing cuts of beef, look for lower amount of saturated fats per serving.
If you are shopping at the butcher shop , look for cuts of beef with less fat marbling throughout, and trim the fat from the edges of the meat prior to eating for a great protein serving with less fat. Also look for top round, loin and you can be sure it’s one of the leanest. Flank steak is lean also.
Fat adds flavor! Don’t cut the fat before cooking, only prior to eating.
Do you want to add a word or two?….
Chicken is high in protein and lower in fat compared to other animal sources like beef. When we think chicken, we often refer to white meat. The white meat, primarily chicken breast, is a wonderful addition for people who want a low-fat, high-protein diet.
However, we can’t forget the dark cuts. While white meat is lower in fat than dark meat, the dark meat is higher in iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins.
Benefits of chicken
Iron
Zinc
Selenium
B vitamins
A 3-oz. serving of chicken breast (white meat) with no skin provides 25 grams of protein and about 130 calories. Three ounces of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards.
Your comments ….
A skinless chicken breast is the leanest cut of chicken. It is lower in calories than other cuts of chicken while still providing a high-protein option.
That being said, a fantastic lower-cost cut are drumsticks. Drumsticks are very close in value in terms of protein (to skinless chicken breast), and only slightly higher in saturated fat than the skinless breast meat, but have more monounsaturated fats.
Look at the differences in saturated fats and monounsaturated fats in your chicken, but keep in mind that removing the skin, which often comes on drumsticks or thighs, can help reduce the fat content.
Pork, or “the other white meat” is high in protein and minerals, and provides numerous cuts like tenderloin to bacon.
One serving of pork has…
Thiamine
Vitamin B-6 and B-12
Potassium
Iron
Magnesium
The fat in pork is found to contain more unsaturated fats than compared to lamb and beef — meaning more omega-3 fatty acids.
It’s also high in oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat that’s readily available for use by the body.
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