Meat and poultry are calorie-dense sources of protein with few carbohydrates. Although they are staples in many diets, they are not altogether essential for optimal nutrition. Other foods can provide the same nutritional benefits. However, you can integrate meat and poultry into a healthy diet to help complete your daily nutritional requirements.
Protein
Meat and poultry primarily provide protein. Plants also contain all nine essential amino acids, but they rarely occur together in the same plants. Soy is one of the few plant foods that contain complete protein. Meat and poultry contain all nine essential amino acids, so small servings of meat can provide all of the necessary daily protein you need, while adding to energy intake. Fish, seafood and eggs also have high amounts of protein.
Vitamins
Meat and poultry contain only two vitamins: vitamin B-3, or niacin, and vitamin B-12, or cobalamin. Niacin assists with metabolism and is essential for the proper operation of the nervous and digestive systems. Cobalamin maintains nerve and blood cell health. The other food sources of these vitamins are fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products.
Minerals
Meat and poultry are more dense in minerals than vitamins, specifically, chromium, zinc, iron and selenium. These minerals have several functions in your body. Chromium helps regulate blood sugar; iron maintains blood cell health; zinc assists in healing and maintains acuteness in olfactory and taste senses; selenium assists in the synthesis of various proteins. Although meat and poultry as excellent sources of these nutrients, other foods contain them too.
Lean Meats
Meat and poultry are notoriously high in fats, saturated fats and cholesterol. However, not all meat and poultry are the same, nor do all types contain the same amounts of these potentially harmful substances. The majority of the lipids in chicken are in the skin and just under it. Removing chicken skin or purchasing skinless poultry significantly reduces fat and cholesterol content. The region of the animal the meat comes from also plays a role in how saturated it is with lipids. White poultry meat, such as the breast, is less fatty than dark poultry meat, such as the thigh. Duck and goose are entirely dark meat. The words "round" and "loin" for beef and "round" and "leg" for lamb and pork suggest that these are leaner cuts.
Preparation can also alter the fat and cholesterol content of meat and poultry. Baking and broiling are more healthy methods of preparation than frying. Avoid breaded meats to control your weight.
References
- "Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals"; Karen Eich Drummond and Lisa M. Brefere; 2010
- MedlinePlus.com: Nutrition
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition and Healthy Eating: Protein
- MayoClinic.com: How Meat and Poultry Fit in Your Healthy Diet
- "The American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide"; Roberta Larson Duyff; 2006
Member Comments