Hefty is not healthy. Think slice, not slab, when figuring out reasonable serving sizes of meat. The allure of a steakhouse or barbecue joint relies on a hunk of beef atop a sizzling plate, but in reality you should not consume more than 6 oz of meat per day, according to the American Heart Association and the USDA Food Pyramid. A 3-oz portion is about the size of a deck of cards or a bar of soap.
Modest Meat Choices
Three ounces comes out to around two slices of lean, cooked meat. Look for beef that does not contain a lot of marbling or visible fat, such as round, sirloin, chuck or trimmed loin. For burgers, buy ground meat that is no more than 15 percent fat and your patty should be the size of a hockey puck. In the pork realm, choose tenderloins or loin chops. Lamb lovers should opt for leg, arm, and loin cuts. Sandwich and breakfast fans do not have to give up processed meats, but just keep in mind that processed and smoked meats are usually higher in sodium than other red-fleshed brethren.
What About White Meat?
Although considered a healthier choice than red meat, the 3-oz portion rule still applies to chicken and turkey. That means a small chicken breast--think Kelly Ripa, not Dolly Parton-- leg or thigh. For turkey, a serving size equals two slices or lean turkey breast, one-third of a turkey thigh or one-half of a turkey leg. With turkey, look for birds that have not been injected with fat or fatty broths.
Beef Buying Tips
When cooking for the family or for large groups of people, eyeballing a healthy 3 oz of meat per person proves a challenge. Four ounces of raw meat usually amounts to a 3 oz cooked portion. Lean, boneless cuts tend to yield more per pound since cuts with bones and fat contain more waste. Ribs,whether pork or beef, produce substantially less per pound, but you can figure about four baby back ribs per serving or two larger beef or pork ribs.
Chicken Savvy
Don't be chicken about cooking poultry for a crowd. One pound of raw boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs serves roughly four people. Broilers and fryers weighing 2-1/2 to 4 lbs comfortably feed three to four people, with leftovers. Roasting chickens weighing 4 to 7 lbs yield healthy serving sizes for five to seven people. With Cornish hens, one-half of a hen is a single serving for men and one-quarter of a hen usually equals a reasonable portion for women. If you love chicken wings but don't want to go overboard, a sensible portion of chicken wings is 1 lb of raw chicken wings for every 1.5 people.
Preparing and Serving Methods
For recipes, estimate that 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken equals three cups of diced or chopped cooked chicken. Don't forget to remove the skin and visible fat before cooking poultry. You don't have to do this when roasting whole chickens and turkeys, but pare away the crispy skin after carving and before eating. Trim red meats of visible fats before cooking, or with rib roasts, remove the fatty brown layer from the roast beef or pork slices before chowing down.
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