Meat & The American diet
Steak or seafood, chicken, pork, or lamb—for most of us, The American diet isn’t a meal unless it has a little Meat to it. The very idea of the American Diet—meat and potatoes—centers around the concept of prosperity: We’re not really enjoying life, and living the American dream, unless we’re tucking into a perfectly seared piece of muscle. (And then we crank up the Elvis, put the top down, and drive off into the night.)
But that relationship with Meat—the American Diet’s main idea is that the bigger your steak, the finer your life—isn’t a healthy one. Many nutritionists consider a serving of meat to be about 3 ounces—about the size of a deck of playing cards. Now think about the last rib eye you ordered from Outback. Did it hang off the edge of the plate the way Jack Nicholson’s belly hangs over his belt?
There’s the problem with The American diet: Our idea of what a piece of meat should look like leads to bellies that don’t look like they should. Now, I’m not saying that meat is bad for you—au contraire, my friend. Beef, pork, chicken, and fish are all terrific sources of protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins, and fish provides exceptional amounts of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Meat is essential for building healthy bones and muscle, providing the body with long-burning energy and self-healing powers. But too much meat—and too much of the wrong kinds of meat—can wreak havoc on our bellies, our blood pressure, and our poor, hard-working arteries.
Ground beef, sausage, bacon, and fattier cuts of steak, pork, and lamb can all be high in saturated fats, which raises LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and increases your risk for heart disease. Processed meats like ham, sausage, and deli slices often contain exorbitant amounts of sodium, another heart-unhealthy risk factor. And even smart choices like poultry, fish, and lean beef can put extra air in your spare tire if they’re southern fried in lard or slathered with sugary sauce.
I’ll lead you through the smart choices in the meat and seafood aisle. But let’s stop first and take a quick look at some of
the ways you can make this a healthy harbor.
•Fine-tuna your fish. Worried about all the scary 11 o’clock news reports about contaminants in seafood? Purdue University researchers found that drinking tea with dinner may block the absorption of any toxins in your tuna. (In fact, if you’re worried about toxins like mercury, then get to know your tuna: light chunk tuna is lower in mercury content than
albacore.) Other low-mercury fish Include shrimp, wild salmon, pollock, and catfish. Avoid higher-contaminant fish like swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, and tilefish.
• Lower your stroke risk. The idea that eating meat is bad for your blood pressure is actually a fallacy. Researchers in Australia showed that replacing some of the carbs in your diet with red meat can actually lower blood pressure: Study participants (all of whom had hypertension) exchanged B percent of their daily carb calories for the same number of calories from meat—and their blood pressure dropped 4 points in just two months.
Note: That translates into as much as a 15 percent lower risk of stroke and a 6 percent lower heart disease risk. But here’s the important thing to remember: It’s the salt in meat products like sausage—and the extra salt that too many of us dump onto our dishes—that can make eating meat a risk for high blood pressure. Toss that salt over your left shoulder, and you’re in safer waters.
• Burn fat on your barbecue. A British study found that men who ate a high-protein, low-carb snack after an intense exercise session burned 20 percent more fat than men who drank a sugary beverage. And meat, fish, and poultry are as solid sources of protein as you’ll find!
• Control your hunger with hanger steak. Another British study found that high-protein foods trigger the release of a hormone that reduces hunger.
• Bone up on T-bone. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that a diet high in protein eases bone loss over the course of 12 months relative to a diet high in carbohydrates.
• Go wild. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin suggest that people who want to cut down on calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol—while still indulging their inner carnivores—might want to start thinking outside the box, meat-wise. Alternative meat choices like ostrich, venison, bison, and elk typically contain as much protein and iron as traditional fare, but with lower fat and saturated content.
Bottom line? Meat is essential to the American diet—not just for flavor, not just for nutrition, but heck, for tradition. It’s part of our American Diet food culture. But knowing how to buy meat, how much of it to serve, and how to prepare meat for maximum health benefits will take you a long way toward keeping your body in fighting trim, while still enjoying your favorite steak-and-potatoes meal.
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