- Meat is a source of good quality proteins, minerals such as iron and zinc and B vitamins.
- But this food can also contain a high fat content, including saturated fat.
- To stay healthy, it is best to choose lean meats, relegating the fattier cuts to occasional consumption.
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Meat is a food that sparks passion. A barbecue at home or a meal at a good steakhouse are memorable events and a source of joy for many.
On the other hand, there are also many people who know the Nutritional recommendations that indicate avoiding processed and red meat if you want to take care of your health, since this type of food has been linked to a higher risk of cancer and heart disease.
In general, nutritionists recommend including all food groups in the diet to achieve a healthy diet.
In this sense the Meat is an essential source of high biological value proteins as it contains essential amino acids for our body that it is not able to synthesize. In addition, it provides significant amounts of iron and zinc and is rich in B vitamins such as B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B6 and B12.
What happens is that in the face of this, the Meat is also a high-calorie food that can be high in fat..
And not only this, approximately half of
its content in fats are saturated (mainly palmitic and stearic acid), considered unhealthy as they promote the increase of bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Likewise, the meat of ruminants (bovine and ovine), like milk, is a source of natural trans fatty acids, Although they are not as harmful as those obtained industrially, they have also been linked to harmful effects on health.
Therefore, medical recommendationsThey indicate to opt for lean meats, that is, low in fat, recommending a consumption of 3 servings per week.
This is because not all meats are equal in terms of their lipid content. The type of animal (origin, diet, age) and the cut of meat are factors that influence the quantity and quality of fats present in meat.
To know What meat is the healthiest to include in your diet?Below we indicate the quantity and quality of fats provided by each type and cut.
Beef
While the leaner cuts of beef They may contain less than 6 grams of fat, while the richest cuts can be around 28 grams.
The best cuts of beef They are those that come from the legs and the loin, according to the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (Fen).
Regarding its nutritional value, the Beef is richer in protein than other meats. Source of minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus, it also contains B vitamins.
Below we indicate the Amount of pure fats per 100 grams of some cuts of beef most frequent, based on data provided by Fen.
- Skirt: 17.2 grams of fat per 100 grams, of which 7.65 are saturated fatty acids (SFA)
- Loin: 8.8 grams, of which 4.06 AGS
- Hip: 6 grams, of which 2.76AGS
- Shoulder: 5.8 grams, of which 2.71 AGS
- Morcillo: 4.4 grams, of which 2.01 AGS
- Sirloin: 4.1 grams, of which 1.86 AGS
- Needle: 4.2 grams, of which 2.03 AGS
- Against: 3.5 grams, of which 1.46 AGS
- Fin: 3.2 grams, of which 1.26 AGS
- Cap: 2 grams, of which 0.88AGS
Pork
Certain pieces of pork can provide almost 30 grams of fat. per 100. In contrast, other leaner parts only account for around 4% of lipid content.
Caloric food, the Pork is rich in protein, but somewhat less than other meats, and mineralssuch as iron and zinc, although it also stands out in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and selenium.
Quantity of Pure fats per 100 grams of some of the cuts most common:
- Pork shoulder: 13.7 grams of fat per 100 grams of which 6.54 grams are saturated fats (SFA)
- Kidney chop: 7.2 grams of which 2.83 g AGS
- Lean: 3.4 grams of which 1.24 AGS
- Bacon: 24.3 grams of which 9.61 AGS
Sheep meat
The amount of fat contained in lamb meat This will depend on the type of piece and the age of the animal. The younger the lamb, the more localized these will be, which will also make it easier to remove them.
While this meat can be part of a healthy diet as long as it is consumed in moderation, it is important to keep in mind that Up to 50% of the fats in lamb meat are saturated, also including a small percentage of trans fatty acids. The remaining lipids (50%) are monounsaturated, providing oleic acid.
Amount of pure fats per 100 grams of some of the lamb meat cuts most frequent, based on data provided by Fen.
- Kidney chop: 17.1 grams of fat per 100 grams of which 9.42 grams are saturated fats (SFA)
- Chop on stick: 16.9 g of which 9.57 AGS
- Shoulder: 15.3 g of which 7.14 AGS
- Leg: 12.6 g of which 7.06 AGS
Chicken meat
The Chicken meat is one of the lowest in fat, being considered lean meat. Lipid intake can be further reduced if the skin is not consumed, since most of the fat resides there.
Its content is placed around the 9.7 grams of fat per 100 grams. Of his pieces, the Chicken breast is the leanest area, containing only 2.8% fat.
In As for the type of fat, chicken meat contains mostly monounsaturated fats. It consists mainly of oleic acid, followed by saturated fat, around 100% , of 2.63 grams per 100 grams. Although its cholesterol content is higher than in pork or beef, having almost double this, according to Fen.
Within this meat we can differentiate between industrial chicken and free range chicken.
In the first case, the animal is raised intensively on feed and produces whitish meat. Meanwhile, the farmed chicken is fed grain, is free range and does not receive medication. The meat is characterized by a yellowish color, a more intense flavor and a lower presence of fat.
Turkey meat
Low in calories, Turkey is a notable lean meat with only 2.2% of its content being fat.. Furthermore, its cholesterol content is also lower than that of chicken, and as is the case with this animal, a large proportion of its lipid content is located in the skin, making it easy to remove.
Highlight your low in saturated fatproviding only 0.440 grams per 100 grams of meat.
Turkey is rich in quality protein and low in sodium. This food also provides interesting amounts of selenium, phosphorus, zinc and potassium, although as far as its iron content is much lower than that provided by other meats.
Rabbit meat
Another of the The lowest fat meat is rabbit.with a lipid content of less than 5% (4.6 grams of fat per 100 grams) and a low saturated fat content, around 1.55 grams per 100 grams.
In addition Its protein content is outstandingboth for the quality of the proteins and for the quantity provided, much higher than in other meats.
He Rabbit can come from wild animals or farms, Our country being one of the main producers of this food.
This differentiation in origin will influence the characteristics of the product, being the farm meat pinker, softer and fattier than that of the animal in the wild.
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