The health benefits of eating meat seem to be a double-edged sword. Red meat, poultry and fish are excellent sources of complete protein and other vital nutrients such as vitamins B and E, zinc, iron and magnesium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, meat may also contain saturated fats, which do no favors to your health. According to the Mayo Clinic, meat doesn't need to be taken out of your diet entirely; however, it's important to use the right cuts and preparation methods to keep meat a healthy option.
Meat Protein
Meat --- beef, lamb and pork --- along with poultry, fish, beans, peas, eggs, seeds and nuts fall under the "Meat and Beans" group in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid Guide. This food group puts a focus on protein, which you need for healthy muscles, bones, skin and blood. Proteins, fat and carbohydrates are the three nutrients that make up your daily calories, says the USDA. Meat and other animal foods, as well as soy foods, are known as complete or "high quality" proteins, providing you all of the essential amino acids you need. Incomplete proteins come from plant foods and lack one or more essential amino acid.
Saturated Fat & Cholesterol
There's an unhealthy side to meat: It can also be a source of saturated fat, which can raise your high-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol levels. The USDA states that fatty cuts of meat, regular ground beef, duck and other fatty poultry, sausages and processed foods such as hot dogs, bacon and lunch meats can be laden with saturated fat. Organ meats such as liver and giblets are dense with dietary cholesterol --- this can also elevate your cholesterol levels. Finally, eating too much saturated fat can put you well over your daily caloric intake. If you want to keep meat in your diet, making healthy choices is important to maintain your health and a healthy weight.
The Right Choice
When choosing meat, the Mayo Clinic urges you to look lean. Your leanest choice is poultry --- the white breast meat, skin-free. Cuts of beef lower in saturated fat include sirloin, tenderloin, round and chuck. If purchasing pork or lamb, opt for tenderloin, loin chops or the leg. When buying ground meat, look at the packaging to make sure it's 90 percent lean. Choose ground breast meat if purchasing turkey or chicken. And remember that "Prime" anywhere on the product means more saturated fat.
Preparation & Serving
When preparing meat, trim off excess fat. You can keep the skin on poultry when you bake it, according to the Mayo Clinic; just remember to remove it before serving. Use a low-fat marinade to boost flavor and choose a method of cooking that keeps fat in check, such as baking, grilling or broiling. Ground meat can be swimming in fat, post-browning; the Mayo Clinic suggests draining it, rinsing it with water and patting it dry with paper towels. Finally, keep portion sizes in check. A portion is around 3 ozs., about the size of a deck of cards.
A Healthy Diet
You don't need to take meat out of your diet to remain in good health. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, protein deficiency in the United States is uncommon. Americans get most of the protein they need by eating a "reasonable" diet comprised of numerous types of foods. The school promotes beans, fish and poultry as high-protein, low-fat protein choices, suggests restricting red meat consumption to 18 ozs. a week and advises passing over processed meats entirely. Although a healthy alternative to meat, soy foods should be eaten in moderation. The school suggests eating between two to four servings of soy foods every week.
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