Let's not be so hard on red meat!

The sun is shining. The world is turning green. You leave work and can't wait to get outdoors. Shortly after you step outside you smell it ... your neighbor grilling burgers (hamburgers, that is). You think "Mmmmm, that smells delicious," but there is a part of you that thinks that you should have a veggie or turkey burger instead because it would be healthier.



Stop feeling guilty! There is nothing wrong with enjoying a hamburger on occasion if you are tempted. (For those of you who are vegetarians for humane or environmental reasons, I commend you.)

Red meat is notorious for being bad for your health. I don't think it deserves this bad reputation. The main debate is that it is higher in saturated fat than other meats like poultry and diets high in saturated fat have been shown to raise your bad cholesterol levels which in turn can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. However, so does cheese, but you don't see us coming down as hard on it. Most of the research linking the consumption of red meat to an increased risk of heart disease looks for a correlation between the diet, sleep habits, activity levels, genetics, etc. of the individuals examined and tries to find common denominators for those that develop heart disease. This type of study does not prove a direct correlation between red meat and an increased risk. Many of the people who eat diets high in red meat choose to also be sedentary, eat more processed foods, and make other choices that could be the ones responsible for increasing their risk. It is unfortunate that the interpretation of this research has translated into a common association that red meat is bad for us.

Some GOOD things about red meat:

• It is very high in protein.

• It is high in iron, specifically heme iron, which is more readily absorbed by the body.

• It is high in many B Vitamins such as B12 which supports metabolic and cellular health and Choline which has been shown to support healthy fetal neurological development.

• It is high in the mineral Zinc which supports your immune system.

• It is a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which may have anti-carcinogenic properties.

• It is a whole food! Well, if you choose to buy it in that form (which I would recommend) - steaks or fresh ground beef. Local meat produced without the bad stuff (hormones, antibiotics, etc.) from animals that are grass-fed is ideal.

You can select red meats that are lower in saturated fat such as leaner ground beef or a steak with less marbling. One ounce of cheese has 50% more saturated fat than a 4 oz. piece of filet mignon. You can certainly limit your saturated fat intake without eliminating red meat.

Saturated fat content in select foods:
4 oz. 95% lean ground beef = 2.5 gm
4 oz. 80% lean ground beef = 8.7 gm
4 oz beef tenderloin = 3.8 gm
4 oz. pork tenderloin (trimmed) = 0.76 gm
1 oz. cheddar cheese = 6 gm
1 large egg = 1.5 gm

Choose how you want to spend your saturated fat allowance and don't feel guilty about including some red meat if it is a food you enjoy!