For Those Who Eat Meat. How to Make a Healthier Choice

Even though I have chosen to avoid most meat products personally for many reasons, there are occasions where it happens. Here are some tips to making better choices.

It pays to be picky about what's on your plate and how it got there when it comes to meat. In general, choosing animals raised outdoors, eating pasture and foraging, and without chemicals, is always best. Start by looking for the USDA organic label, which means animals are raised without pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or GMO feed. Next, look for "100% grass-fed" of "grass-fed and finished" meats, which have more omega-3s, other antioxidants including vitamin E, conjugated linoleic acid, and lower fat content.

Labels don't always tell the whole story. Many farmers cannot afford organic certification even if they raise their animals naturally. Also, "free-range" or "cage-free" does not guarantee that animals are raise outdoors. Ask your meat department or butcher about the farmer they work with and the animals' living conditions. Or go to a local farmers' market ( find one at localharvest.org) and ask the farmers how the animals were raised.

Here is a nutritional breakdown of three ounce portions of several meats, from fattest to leanest.

Ground Beef- Even 75% lean ground beef is loaded in fat and calories. 249 Calories, 21grams of fat(8g of saturated fat)

Lamb- Hard to raise organically due to the vast amount of grassland required to raise them. 218 calories, 14grams fat (6.7g saturated)

Grass-fed ground beef- Grass-fed ground beef is leaner and tougher, but has more flavor.
162 calories, 12grams of fat (3g saturated)

Pork(loin & Shoulder)-Like lamb it it leaner than it used to be , but has a lot of external fat that needs to be trimmed off. 179 Calories, 8 grams fat (2.8g saturated)

Venison- Know what they have been eating and potentially exposed to in their environment...they are wild game. 134 calories, 3 grams fat (0.9g saturated)

Turkey- 133 calories, 3 grams fat ( 0.9g saturated)

Chicken Breast- Choose skinless varieties. 140 calories, 3grams fat ( 0.9g saturated)

Buffalo- Will find at natural food stores. 122 calories, 2 grams fat (0.8g saturated)

The bottom line is to eat meat in moderation if at all. Avoid grilling, frying, or broiling since high heat can cause potentially cancer -promoting chemicals ( such as heterocyclic amines, or HCAs to form. If you do grill, choose lean cuts and don't char the meat. Using marinades with antioxidant-rich herbs and spices also greatly decreases HCAs. Lean meats yield the best results with slow, moist cooking methods, such as braising, roasting or using a slow cooker.


Mark Holthouse MD