Meat can be an important source of protein and an integral part of a complete diet. Many meats are not considered to be healthy as they are high in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Other fresh, lean cuts of meat are thought to be healthy in moderation. If you are practicing a heart healthy diet, it is generally recommended that you avoid fried, fatty and salty meats, and instead choose a lean or low fat meat option.
Fish
The American Heart Association considers fish to be one of the healthiest meats available. Fish is rich in protein, low in saturated fat and contains heart healthy fats known as omega-3 fatty acids. The typical American diet is deficient in these healthy fats and the American Heart Association recommends eating two to three servings of fatty fish each week. Fatty fish such as mackerel, trout, salmon and tuna are most healthy when they baked or grilled and not fried. Deep-fried fish foods, such as fish sticks or fish nuggets, are not considered to be healthy by most nutrition professionals.
Lean Cuts of Beef
Beef is notorious for having a high fat and cholesterol content. While many types of beef such as ground beef can have unhealthy amounts of fat, not all cuts of beef are equal in their unhealthiness. In fact, some cuts or types of beef can be relatively healthy. If you are on a heart healthy diet, you probably should not eat beef with every meal, but do not need to avoid beef altogether. FamilyDoctor.org advises avoiding fatty or marbled cuts of beef labeled as "prime" and instead choosing "select" grade cuts that are typically lower in fat. Other lean cuts of beef include round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin are also relatively healthy.
Turkey And Chicken
Poultry meats such as turkey and chicken tend to be lower in fat and cholesterol than beef. If you are on a heart healthy diet, you should avoid dark meat parts of poultry and also avoid poultry skin. Ground poultry can be a good substitute for ground beef but may contain just as much fat and cholesterol as ground beef if any dark meat is added to the preparation. If you are using ground poultry, MayoClinic.com advises using freshly ground breast meat that is low in fat and cholesterol, and high in protein.
Buffalo
Buffalo or bison meat is an excellent alternative to traditional red meat. The American Heart Association recommends using lean cuts of wild buffalo that are typically low in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Nutrition information provided by the Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat Co. explains that buffalo meat can contain 80 percent less fat, 35 percent less cholesterol and 30 percent more protein than similar cuts of beef.
Ostrich
Ostrich meat is a type of red meat available at many specialty meat stores and restaurants that is also recommended by the American Heart Association. While ostrich meat is low in fat, it can have similar levels of cholesterol as beef as indicated by nutrition information from the British Domesticated Ostrich Association.
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