In the United States, there are many cultural norms that we follow on a day to day basis without much, if any, thought as to what we are doing. Having our cell phone by our side at all times. Cramming as many things as possible into a 24-hour period (do we really enjoy any of them when we can't take the time needed to enjoy them?). Driving to work during rush hour, complaining about the traffic, but not even considering carpooling. And my favorite: having red meat for each and every meal of every day (don't forget snacks, too).
But why is red meat so bad? Why are there warnings out there telling us to cut down on our red meat consumption? What is the big difference between using turkey or chicken instead of beef? Is there any difference? Maybe I can shed some light on the fat facts of red meat.
Every type of animal based protein will provide 7 grams of protein per ounce of meat. This does not change whether you are consuming ground beef, steak, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, veal, sausage and everything in between. Also of note, one serving of meat is technically 4 ounces (the average American usually eats at least about 2 to 3 times that amount per meal), therefore the amount of protein per serving of meat is 28 grams, which is a good amount. We know the target amount of protein the average healthy American should be consuming daily is 0.8 grams per kg of body weight. Let's take a 150 lb woman: her body weight in kilograms would be 150 divided by 2.2, equaling about 68.18 kg. If we multiply that by 0.8g, her target amount of protein needed per day equals about 55 grams. One true 4 oz serving of meat would take care of about half her daily protein needs.
So, what is the big difference related to the types of meat we eat? Answer: fat! (Isn't that what it always comes down to?)
Red meat, specifically beef, has more fat per ounce than alternative meat options, such as chicken or turkey. When choosing a meat, try to substitute turkey or chicken whenever possible to cut down on the amount of fat you are consuming. Even some cuts of pork are leaner than beef. If you absolutely love red meat and really want to indulge, try venison. Venison is a red meat, but is a lot leaner than beef and has just as much flavor. If beef is the only option for you and you just can't live without it, try to purchase the leanest cuts of steaks. Additionally, when purchasing ground beef, take a look at the package. All ground meat packages have a fraction somewhere on the front, for example: 85/15 or 95/5. This fraction is the amount of lean meat to fat ratio in the package. This means in a package of ground beef with a fraction of 85/15, the ground beef contains 85% lean meat and 15% fat. Choosing the leanest varieties of ground meat will be the healthiest options. That being said, you do want some fat in your cuts of meat, as the fat adds some flavor.
What about those dedicated individuals who don't eat red meat? Or are trying to cut down on the amount animal-based protein they consume? Or those rare individuals, especially in our country, who don't LIKE meat period? Are there options for them? And how do those options compare?
Of course, there are a cournicopia of options for those individuals! Meatless sources of protein can be tasty and just as satisfying as animal-based protein, and can pack in a much healthier punch (or serving) of protein.
One of the best sources of meatless protein is quinoa. Qunioa is a seed, that is prepared much like noodles or rice, boiled in water. It is one of the only sources of meatless options that will provide all the essential amino acids your body needs (essential amino acids are ones that we need to get from our diet, unessential amino acids are ones that our body can synthesize on its own). Quinoa is also an amazing source of fiber and an array of vitamins and minerals, without being high in calories or fat.
Beans and legumes are also great sources of meatless proteins. There are many different types of beans to choose from, including black beans, red beans, white beans, edamame (soybeans), chickpeas, kidney beans, and many more. Most beans are also pretty starchy, so a serving provides plenty of protein as well as carbohydrates, and little fat. Using beans as a base for veggie dips and spreads are a great, healthy way to cut down on fat when dunking veggies and slathering on sandwich spreads.
Lastly, lets talk tofu! Most people get a little scared when tofu is mentioned as part of their meal, because curdled soy isn't so appetizing to think about. But the great thing about tofu is the fact that it is basically a clean canvas to add flavor to becuase tofu doesn't have much, if any flavor on its own. I like to marinate tofu for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld and soak into the tofu, and then saute it with a little peanut oil on the stove top. It doesn't take too long on a medium hot stove, maybe 5 to 10 minutes, and then top a salad with it or put it on a ciabatta roll with your favorite fixings.
Just for one day, each and every person should pay attention to how much red meat they eat, and I'm certain most people would be surprised to learn they consume 2, 3, or even 4 times the recommended daily allowance regularly. Learning to pay attention to the amount of fat content in the cut of meat you choose is a great way to be a healthier red meat consumer. Here are a couple great burger recipes that I love that incorporate alternative ground meat as opposed to ground beef.
Greek Turkey Burger:
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and cut (1 cup frozen spinach, drained)
¼ cup chopped red onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup of fresh dill (1/8 cup dried dill)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb ground turkey
1.) Heat a shallow pan on the stove until it gets hot (this opens the pores of the pan), once hot, add your olive oil and let that heat up a bit. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for ~5 mins. Add the spinach and sauté until spinach is wilted, this won’t take more than 5 mins. Let cool.
2.) Combine the spinach mixture, ground turkey, feta, dill, and salt and pepper. Make into about 6-8 patties, depending on how big you want them and grill!
3.) I usually put a slice of cucumber and tomato on the bun with it.
Spicy South-Of-The-Border Burger
2 cups fresh arugula, washed and cut
¼ cup chopped red onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup spicy cheese (like pepper jack or habanero jack) shredded
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp chili garlic paste
1 lb ground venison
1.) Heat a shallow pan on the stove until it gets hot (this opens the pores of the pan), once hot, add your olive oil and let that heat up a bit. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for ~5 mins. Add the arugula and sauté until arugula is wilted, this won’t take more than 5 mins. Let cool.
2.) Combine the arugula mixture, ground venison, spicy cheese, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, chili garlic paste, and salt and pepper. Make into about 6-8 patties, depending on how big you want them and grill.
3.) I put cucumber on my sandwich, or avocado, just to cool it down a bit. I think a mango slice would be amazing as well.
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