November 21, 2008
Doing Red Meat Right
By Cynthia Sass
If you don’t eat red meat, there’s no need to start, but if you’re a hard-core carnivore, a few menu modifications can go a long way toward keeping you on top of your game.
Long-term, a high intake of red meat has been linked with a 20-30 per cent increase in the risk of certain cancers. But even a single meal high in saturated fat (think juicy burger, pepperoni pizza or cheese steak) can reduce the ability of your arteries to dilate normally. In other words, within hours of eating a high saturated fat meal, your arteries stiffen. That means less blood, oxygen, fuel and nutrients to your brain and muscles and more stress on your heart.
Can’t give up your burgers? Just follow these 5 rules to keep it in better balance:
Cap it. Aim for no more than 18 oz of cooked red meat per week, which includes beef, pork and lamb (3 oz is the size of a deck of cards in thickness and width) and try to avoid or seriously cut back on processed meats such as ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs and sausages, which have been linked to reduced lung function.
Swap it. A John Hopkins study found that trading ground beef with meaty mushrooms in a single meal slashed 400 calories and 30 grams of fat and didn’t result in increased hunger (mushroom eaters were just as satisfied). Mushrooms are a great source of selenium, a key antioxidant (a.k.a cell body guards) and immune-boosting zinc. You can swap mushrooms for red meat in tacos, burritos, stuffed peppers, lasagna, meat sauce, on pizza, etc. or go half and half with extra lean ground beef.
Go lean. At the supermarket, look for the leanest cuts. The easiest way is to opt for those with the word loin or round in the name, like sirloin and eye of round and look for at least 90% lean ground beef. Trimming any excess fat before cooking can further reduce the fat content by up to 50 percent.
Portion it. When you do have red meat, stick to 3-6 oz cooked per meal (remember 3 oz = a deck of cards in thickness and width). If that’s less than your usual portion, make it seem like more by chopping or slicing it for mixed meals instead of eating one solid cut, like beef and broccoli stir-fry, beef fajitas and beef and vegetable stew (versus a steak and potato).
Combine it. Keep red meat in proportion with this simple formula: pair every 3 oz serving you eat with at least 1 cup (1 baseball worth) of raw or cooked vegetables. Keep it simple: stir chopped peppers and onions into extra lean ground beef in sloppy Joes; add a side of cooked veggies (carrots, broccoli, asparagus, green beans…) to your steak dinner; or start your meal with a garden salad or broth-based (non cream) veggie soup.
Sound doable? Let me know what you think and send me your sports nutrition questions and challenges.