Hunting your own game food can be more personally satisfying than purchasing your protein from a grocery store, and you may enjoy the taste of wild game more than commercially raised and slaughtered farm animals. Examples of game food include venison, moose, rabbit and squirrel, and they can be healthy, in moderation, as part of an overall balanced diet.
Lean Protein
Many kinds of game food are healthy because they are sources of lean protein, which means they are high in protein, but low in calories. Lean proteins can help you control your weight because protein is a filling nutrient which delays the onset of hunger after a meal, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Raw moose has 102 calories and 22 g protein per 100 g serving, and 100-g of raw deer has 120 calories and 23 protein.
Fat and Carbohydrate
Game food, such as moose, elk and venison, are low in total fat and nearly free from saturated fats, which are unhealthy because they raise levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood. This makes them healthier than some animal proteins, such as fatty beef or dark-meat chicken with the skin, which are high in saturated fat. As with other meats, pure game meat is carbohydrate-free, and suitable for a diet that is low-carbohydrate or low-sugar.
Essential Micronutrients
Game food is high in iron, with about 3 mg in 100 g of raw moose, or about 17 percent of the daily value for iron. Iron is an essential mineral for healthy red blood cells, and the iron from animal sources is in the heme iron form, which is easy for your body to absorb. Game meat provides about 6 mcg vitamin B-12 per 100-g serving, or about 100 percent of the daily value. A high-potassium, low-sodium diet supports a healthy blood pressure, and venison, elk and moose have more than 300 mg potassium and less than 100 mg sodium per serving.
Considerations
Grill or roast your game meat to keep it healthy, instead of frying it in butter, which is high in calories and saturated fat. Game meat has similar amounts of cholesterol as domestic meats, with 50 to 75 mg per 100-g serving, according to MayoClinic.com. Do not eat game meat that comes from areas that may be contaminated with chronic wasting disease, and do not use lead-coated bullets to shoot the game.
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