Eating more chicken, fish and vegetarian meals is good for your health, the Harvard School of Public Health notes. However, indulging in red meat a few times a week does provide you with essential nutrients. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron, which is essential to the functioning of red blood cells and the formation of many body proteins. Healthy meat meals utilize the leanest cuts and add little fat during preparation. Keep portions moderate and include plenty of whole grains and fresh vegetables to make your meat meals most nutritious.
Burgers with Feta and Roasted Red Peppers
Use extra lean ground beef, which contains 5g or less fat and 2g or less of saturated fat per 3.5 oz. Mix together about 14 oz. of the beef with an egg, dried oregano and salt and pepper. The egg helps bind the beef as you form it into four patties because there is no fat to hold the mixture together. Broil or grill the burgers and serve on a whole wheat pita sprinkled with feta cheese and jarred or home-made roasted red peppers. Serve a Greek-style salad made with romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes, olives, cucumbers and an oregano-spiced olive oil dressing.
Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce
Beef tenderloin is a tender steak appropriate for special occasions. It should contain less than 10 g of fat per 3.5 oz. serving and no more than 4.5 g of saturated fat. Liberally crust the rounds with crushed black pepper and salt. Place in a hot pan coated with a tablespoon of olive oil and sear the outside on both sides. Place on a paper towel to pull off any extra oil, then put on a nonstick sheet pan and finish in a 400 degree F oven, until the meat reaches the desired level of doneness. Meanwhile, pour off the extra oil from the pan and put back on the heat. Add chopped shallots and sliced wild mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms soft. Add a little chicken broth if the mixture starts to brown too much. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of red wine, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom. Simmer until wine is bubbly and reduced by half, until sauce is thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and add 4 tbsp. of low-fat sour cream. Stir until smooth--it may curdle slightly. Place the sauce and mushrooms at the bottom of a plate and top with the tenderloin. Serve with roasted asparagus and healthy mashed potatoes made with olive oil and low-fat milk.
Beef Fajitas
Use flank steak instead of fattier skirt steak as the base of your fajitas. Rub with a spice mix of cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Grill or broil until cooked to your preferred level of doneness. Slice against the grain and serve on whole-wheat or corn tortillas with grilled peppers, onions, zucchini and summer squash. Use liberal amounts of salsa, but skip the sour cream and cheese to keep saturated fat to a minimum.
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