Healthiest Cuts of Meat

Meat provides protein, zinc and iron -- all important nutrients for a healthy diet. Meat cuts vary in their amounts of fat, saturated fat and calories. Sandra Woodruff, author of "The Best-Kept Secrets of Healthy Cooking," reports that learning what cuts of meat are the lowest in fat and calories enables you to prepare healthier meals.

Round

Round cuts of beef are generally lower in fat and calories, because the external fat is usually trimmed away, and the meat does not include marbling in the center, notes Woodruff. One serving of an eye-of-round cut has 143 calories and about 4 g of fat. A top round has the same amount of fat and 153 calories. Round tip cuts have about 6 g of fat and around 160 calories per serving. Round cuts may be used to make a variety of healthy meals, such as grilled steak, beef stir-fry or beef stew. Woodruff recommends checking the grade of the meat to make healthier choices of round cuts. Prime-grade beef has the most marbling and the most fat, while select-grade round cuts are lower in fat.

Flank

Flank steak is another of your healthiest choices for cuts of meat, notes Good Housekeeping. A flank steak usually has the fat trimmed off the edges and does not contain a great deal of fatty marbling. Flank steaks vary in thickness, but they contain about 181 calories and little visible fat, at 8 g per serving. Flank steak may be grilled or broiled, but these cuts are also good for marinating, sautéing and using in stir-fry dishes and soups. Flank steaks are also graded, so choosing a prime-grade steak will translate into a higher-fat meal than a select- or choice-grade flank steak.

Loin

Loin cuts for beef and pork -- including top sirloin, tenderloin and loin chops -- come in several varieties, notes Woodruff. Both beef and pork loin cuts trim visible fat around the edges of the meat and do not usually include marbling. A serving of top sirloin beef has about 165 calories and 6 g of fat. Pork tenderloin has 139 calories and 4 g of fat in one serving. Pork loin chops contain 173 calories and 6.5 g of fat per serving. Loin cuts of beef and pork may be used to prepare many different meals, including grilled chops or stews and soups. Beef sirloin may also be ground to make healthier hamburgers.