There is a reason why the steak at your favorite restaurant is so juicy and flavorful -- fat. Not only does the meat contain fat, but it is likely basted with melted butter before, during and after cooking. The result is a culinary delight, but a dietary nightmare. Red meat and butter have an unsavory reputation in the nutrition world, but everything is relative. Although they will never be the healthiest foods to put in your body, they are better than some alternatives.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats come from animal products and are solid at room temperature -- the white fat and marbling in beef and the stick of butter itself are prime examples. Eating too much of this particular kind of fat can raise your blood cholesterol, and excess circulating cholesterol can stick to artery walls and block the blood flow to your heart. You should get no more than seven percent of your daily calories from saturated fat -- for the average 2,000-calorie diet, this means only 140 calories, or 15 g of saturated fat per day. As a reference, that's about 2 tbsp. of butter.
Red Meat
Red meat is a good source of protein, vitamin B-12, zinc and iron, but concerns over its connection to colon cancer and heart disease have led nutritionists to advise against it. A 2010 study in the "Meat Science" journal found that while eating large amounts of red meat may indeed increase your risk of chronic disease, a moderate intake can actually improve your health by providing anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Processed red meat, on the other hand, has been found to increase your risk of heart disease by 42 percent and your diabetes risk by 19 percent with only a 50-g daily serving.
Butter Versus Margarine
Many people have turned to margarine to avoid the saturated fat in butter, but not just any margarine will do. Most margarines contain saturated fat as well, but the worse ingredient is trans-fats. Listed on the label as "partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil", trans fats are a man-made fat that is used to give margarine its consistency and smooth mouth-feel. Trans fats are even more detrimental than saturated fat, and should be avoided entirely. There are margarines that are trans fat-free, but they still contain saturated fat. Considering that margarine is a completely manufactured product that looses the benefits of its plant-based fats during production and is full of artificial colors and flavors, some people prefer to use butter instead. If you fall into the natural-is-better camp, there are ways to do it without jeopardizing your health.
Make It Healthy
You don't have to give up red meat and butter to be healthy. A 100-g per day serving of red meat will not increase your risk of disease. Remove all visible fat before cooking, choose leaner cuts with less marbling and don't baste it with butter. If you refuse to give up your butter, at least limit your use. The Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute recommends no more than 1 tsp. twice per month, but every small reduction helps. Use it as a topping rather than for cooking, and learn to use low-fat yogurt, sour cream or cottage cheese instead. Switch to a butter blend that combines real butter with canola oil, olive oil or yogurt to retain the butter taste while slashing the fat content, and don't put butter out on the dinner table. If you do, don't soften it first -- you're likely to use more when it's easy to scoop and spread.
Member Comments