Eating meat can be part of a healthy and balanced diet, especially if you choose the best quality meat and accompany your meat with nutrient-dense foods. The quality of the foods you choose can greatly influence how you feel and your health. Base your diet on unprocessed foods for optimal health.
Good-Quality Meat
Avoid meats that are breaded, marinated or in sauces containing many processed ingredients. Instead, choose fresh or frozen cuts of beef from grass-fed and grass-finished cows. Not only is the meat from these animals tastier, but it also contains more omega-3 fats, more vitamin E and more of the anticancer compound called CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid. Choose free-foraging pork, free-range poultry, eggs from free-range fowls as well as wild-caught fish to have the healthiest protein-rich foods possible in your diet.
Nonstarchy Vegetables
Accompany each of your meals with nonstarchy vegetables. Nonstarchy vegetables are the more dense source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxiants, which means that they pack more of these nutrients per calorie compared to any other foods. For example, you can complete your meal with a big salad of leafy greens with tomato and cucumber, an Asian-inspired stir-fry of onions, mushrooms and broccoli and grilled asparagus.
Fats
Most people fear fats, but they should be an important part of your diet, whether you eat meat or not. You can use coconut or olive oil for cooking, which are both stable at moderate temperatures. Do not heat your extra-virgin olive oil and keep it for salads or drizzling over vegetables, because heat destroys some of the antioxidants it contains. You can also include avocados, which are rich in monounsaturated fats, in your diet by garnishing your steak with a few slices or dipping your meat in guacamole. Nuts and nut butter are also good sources of healthy fats. Add macadamia nuts to a beef salad or use almond butter to make a sauce of your chicken stir-fry.
Low-Glycemic Carbs
If you want to include carbs to your meat-based meal, choose carbs that have the lowest glycemic index. Low glycemic carbs are digested at a slower rate and can help you maintain more stable blood sugar levels after your meal, helping you to have a more steady supply of energy and preventing hunger. The best low-glycemic options for meat eaters are sweet potatoes or yams -- mashed, baked or prepared as oven-baked fries -- butternut squash, whole grain pasta, quinoa or millet. You can skip the carbs for your meal and enjoy a serving of carbs from fesh fruits or some yogurt for dessert.
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