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Are you thinking of giving up meat?
It seems a good call if you want to live a healthier life and age gracefully. It’s no secret that some types of meat are high in saturated fats and cholesterol that increase the risk of heart problems and certain types of cancer.
And raising animals in inhuman conditions, injecting them with hormones and antibiotics to make them grow faster and feeding them stuff they were never supposed to eat is enough to make you want to go vegan for the rest of your life.
But do you really have to?
Nope. Meat is rich in fatty acids that help build your brain (fun fact: your brain is 60% fat so going entirely fat-free isn’t a good idea). It’s also a good source of muscle-building proteins and essential amino acids that aid digestion.
You know what that means? Meat can be part of a healthy diet. The trick is to look for the good types of meat that fill your protein and (healthy) fat requirements without hurting your health or the planet.
The ones listed below are all perfect examples:
Free-Range Chicken
Did you know that out of any meat, chicken contains some of the highest levels of protein? Protein is a friend that protects you from heart disease and diabetes. It also dulls hunger so you won’t be tempted to overeat and pile on the pounds.
Free-range, organic chicken has another cool perk: compared to its factory-farmed raised cousin, it has fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria and less arsenic, caffeine and painkillers (all stuff fed to chickens to keep them alert and make them grow faster!). :(
Cut-wise, opt for boneless, skinless breast. As a rule, the more white meat you see, the lower the fat content. Avoid ground meat whenever possible. It’s often contaminated with dark meat and skin, increasing the fat content a notch or two.
Free-Range Turkey
Turkey has a lot in common with its relative chicken. For one, it’s a good source of protein, too but with a twist: it also has plenty of selenium, a mineral that boosts your immune system and helps you fight off infections. A 3-ounce serving gives you nearly a day’s worth of this mineral!
As with chicken, the same rules apply. First off, opt for free-range, organic turkey that has fewer nasties, like antibiotic resistant bacteria. Another good rule is to stick to lean cuts like boneless, skinless breast. It’ll give your body its daily protein fix without upping its fat content. While we’re on the subject, ground turkey is a no-go zone too.
Grass-Fed Beef
You’re sensing a theme here. Meat that comes from animals that are allowed to eat what they normally would in nature is higher in nutrients your body needs and lower in the nasties that give meat (especially red meat) a bad rep.
Grass-fed beef is good for you because it’s loaded with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps you fight off the free radicals that cause premature wrinkles and metabolic diseases like cancer. It also helps boost your immune system so it functions better. FYI, grass-fed beef has 3 times more vitamin E than grain-fed beef.
Also important to note, grass-fed beef contains less nasties: it has half as much fat and two-thirds less saturated fat than grain-fed beef. So go home, have that steak. Just make sure it comes from a grass-fed cow. Bonus points if it comes from flank, tenderloin, sirloin or filet mignon. They’re the leanest cuts.
Wild Boar
Wild boar is a more unusual choice but one that’s as tasty as it is healthy. Wild boar is rich in B vitamins: it has niacin to lower bad cholesterol, and thiamin and B6 to keep your energy levels high during that day. It also has its fair share of zinc, a mineral that boosts your immune system and fights acne.
Another reason to try this meat? Too many wild boars in Texas and California are causing some serious havoc. They prey on small livestock, destroy crops and compete with other animals for food. Eating more of this meat can help rebalance the ecosystem.
So there you have it. Eating meat less often is a good idea but there’s no need to give it up completely. Stick to grass-fed, lean cuts and you enjoy this treat without hurting your health or the planet.