Best and Worst Meat Choices

This article was so helpful, I'm grateful to spark for putting this up! - 3/5/2013 7:14:31 AM

I was raised on a large dairy farm & ranch, so we didn't have to worried about allot of what U buy from the store. The meat was always marble right, had the right amount of fat. & the color was good. We always ate healthy, had our own gardens, fresh water too drink & not too many store brought items. Even today I grow my own vegetables & herbs. Just go to the store for a few staples. - 2/20/2013 7:01:08 PM

I am glad to hear the bacon myth debunked, as well as some grass fed information out there! - 9/12/2012 11:48:04 AM

I know this would not be everyone's cup of tea, but we purchased a good quality electric meat grinder a while ago. We really decided to grind our own meats to save money, but it turned out we found we could have much leaner and healthier ground meats by grinding our own. We buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for as low as $1.69 a pound and grind them. Ground chicken breast at my local supermarket is $3.99 a pound and I know it has skin and who knows what else ground in it. We also make fantastic and very lean bulk Italian sausage and ground beef for a fraction of what it costs to buy in packages in the store - and we know what's in it and that the grinder, etc. is clean! We buy beef and lean cuts of pork when it's on sale so we save money as well as getting a quality product. It takes a little effort but it's worth it to us. - 9/3/2012 6:49:49 PM

When I lost the weight I have so far, it wasn't by picking the leanest meat I could, it was by selecting fatty meats that actually kept me full and didn't have me grabbing for the Pop Tarts.

Restrict your grain and sugar intake and you won't have to worry about lean meat. - 9/3/2012 1:48:10 PM

I think all of us know that meat that is grass fed, or extra lean 95/5 is better for us. The same with chicken and all other meats, but sometimes the budget has to be taken into account too. Not all of us can afford the price on a regular basis even if it is much healthier for us. So I guess I'll just have to eat smaller portions and exercise more to work off the cholestrol clogging my arteries. Oh, btw, even with eating these meats my cholestrol is doing just fine. - 9/3/2012 1:06:55 PM

Avoiding fat in meat? Is it the 1990s again? Control your calories, hit your macronutrient goals and you won't have to worry about this drivel. - 9/3/2012 12:33:13 PM

I've been buying Ball Park "All white meat" turkey hot dogs because the label on the package says 40 calories per hot dog. That seems pretty low based on what this article says. Does all white turkey meat really have such a low calorie count? - 9/3/2012 11:35:27 AM

I like learning about the various cuts of meat, but I wish they would have talked about non-traditional cuts and sources, like organ meats and game meats. I don't prescribed to the idea that saturated fat is bad for us. There is a lot of literature and case studies of native hunter-gatherers who eat a lot of saturated fat and are very healthy, therefore they refute the saturated fat hypothesis. This whole idea came from a study by Ancel Keys, where he studied the fat calories vs. heart disease from total calories of 22 countries, but only reported evidence from 7 countries in order to support his hypothesis, which is pretty unethical. Actually, there is more compelling evidence that heart disease is connected with sugar consumption. I personally eat the Paleo diet and am not afraid of fats. - 9/3/2012 11:02:33 AM

This was a great article! I had to change how I look at bacon for starters. Definitely need to reevaluate the meat I consume. - 9/3/2012 10:59:40 AM

This is a good article, but I was surprised that the author went so deeply into how deli meats are processed and omitted entirely the way beef, pork, and poultry are not only processed, but raised. While "Grass fed", and "organic" meats are more expensive, once you understand how shortchanged you are nutritionally by purchasing otherwise they start to look like bargains. - 9/3/2012 10:52:17 AM

Thank you! I was just wondering about the health difference between ground turkey and ground beef while shopping yesterday! - 9/3/2012 10:04:37 AM

hmmm, my three meats of 'choice' aren't here: ribeye steaks, turkey wings and lamb. i guess i am, as usual, off the charts. lol - 9/3/2012 9:29:28 AM

If pork is good for you why is it the first meat the doctors take away from you. - 9/3/2012 9:29:16 AM

I too don't believe in always choosing lean . A *moderate* amount of fat benefits your body (yes, even the saturated type). And using all the parts of an animal is a much more conscionable, intentional form of omnivorism. The least expensive way to purchase pastured meat and poultry is to buy it directly from the farmer in bulk, i.e. 1/2 a lamb, 1/2 a hog, 1/8 of a steer. It seems like a huge investment because it's up front, but in the long run, if you eat meat only on occasion, you'll see a huge savings to your wallet, notice huge changes in your health, and know that you're contributing to a better environment and a stronger local economy. - 9/3/2012 9:02:10 AM