How to Make Heart-Healthy Meat Choices

People have eaten meat for food since the beginning of humanity and it has remained the primary source of protein. In recent years so much has been reported on the news and medical reports advocate superiority of vegetarian over diets containing meat. Research indicates diets include meat in moderation, offering great nutritional benefits to most people. There are many excellent healthy meats with turkey being the best choice. Most meats can be eaten regularly with the exception of ham and bacon.

Instructions

1

Choose fish, shellfish, poultry without skin-- about six ounces cooked per day. Pick fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids such as lake trout, mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon and albacore tuna. Avoid types of fish having high levels of mercury such as shark, king mackerel and swordfish. Have two servings of grilled or baked fish each week. Before cooking poultry, remove fat and skin. If you roast a whole turkey or chicken then remove the skin before serving. When choosing a turkey, pick ones not having been injected with broths or fat.

2

Look for organic cuts of beef. These cattle have been raised on grass and makes the fat healthier, containing more omega-3 which is heart-friendly. About half of the fat in beef is similar to the heart-healthy fat found in olive oil.

3

Choose the cuts of meat that have the least visible fat. Buy "select" or "choice" grades instead of "prime" and trim the visible fat. These include lean beef cuts such as sirloin, round, loin and chuck. Extra lean or lean ground beef should not contain more than 15% fat. Prepare meats by baking, roasting, broiling, stir-fry or microwave. After browning, drain the fat from the meat. After cooking, chill the juices to easily take off the hardened fat. The juices can then be added to soups, stews and gravy.

4

Use portion control. A good way of judging a three ounce portion of meat is to think about the size of a deck of cards. To help judge a three ounce portion of chicken it would equal a chicken leg with thigh (without the skin) or half a chicken breast. A three ounce portion of fish equals three fourths cup of flaked fish and three ounce of lean roast beef equals two slices.

5

Indulge occasionally. Ham, bacon and sausage, should only be consumed in moderation because of its high salt content. Organ meats are another product to be used in moderation. They are very high cholesterol meats. Liver, however, is rich in vitamins and iron, so a three ounce serving once a month is good. Substitutions replacing two ounce serving of meat, fish, or poultry can be made with one cup of peas, beans, lentils or tofu.