While it’s unlikely that most families still sit down to a regular Sunday roast, Australians as a whole enjoy their lamb, beef and other red meat.
From beef strips in a stir fry to grilled veal fillet, there are so many lean ways to benefit from the essential nutrients in red meat.
Sensible serves
With a refocus in recent times on portion control it’s good to know that you can reap the benefits of the essential nutrients in red meat without the need for a massive steak on the plate. Many people are surprised to hear that a serve is only around 65-100g of cooked meat. For good health the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend 3-4 serves of lean red meat a week. However, research shows that up to a third of Australians are eating red meat less often than recommended.
Tip: It only takes ½ cupful of lean mince to count as a serve.
Friendly fats
Contrary to popular belief red meat is not a significant source of saturated fat or cholesterol in the diet. Lean red meat is relatively low in total fat, with a higher ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids than previously thought. In fact the researchers have concluded that moderate amounts of red meat, provided it is lean, may be included in diets to lower blood cholesterol or heart healthy eating plans. And it seems that as a nation we have shifted our practices with recent analyses confirming that there has been a significant trend to leaner cuts of meat over the past two decades. While fish is a much higher source of omega 3 fatty acids it’s also a surprise for many to hear that the range in red meat is from 11% to 29% of total fat present. And this makes lean red meat our second major source of omega 3 fats in the diet.
Tip: Go for pasture fed beef which is a better source of omega-3 fats than grain feed beef. This explains the better fatty acid ratio in Australian red meat compared with that in the USA.
What’s your point of view on eating red meat? Tell us your thoughts below …
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