In the U.S. we are a carnivorous people. Is there anything wrong with that? Not really, as long as we don’t overindulge. I personally am a meat lover, however, I have discovered the benefits of cutting down on my meat intake. Not only do I cut down on my meat intake, but I choose different types of meat to put into my body. Meat can be very healthy, but the type and the amount of meat you consume may be harmful to you. Now I like the taste of red meat just like everyone else, but recently I have cut down and replaced my red meat with white meat, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. My husband and I no longer buy ground beef instead we buy ground turkey or chicken. Ground turkey comes in many different varieties that have been so great to introduce into our diet. Jennie-O brand has Italian seasoned ground turkey that you can pick up at Wal-mart that tastes fantastic (I actually prefer it over regular sausage) and goes great with some whole wheat pasta and all natural pasta sauce. We’ve also switched to turkey/chicken breakfast sausage and even turkey bacon. To be completely honest with you, I actually prefer the turkey to pork and beef.
Some of you have probably noted that pork is not a red meat, but it is not as lean as poultry, so I usually prefer to go with the turkey or chicken instead. Almost anything that you can get in beef or pork you can get in chicken or turkey. Breakfast sausage, sausage links, bratwurst, Italian sausage (spicy or sweet), hot dogs, etc. are all included. They taste great and provide a great lean protein to your diet. Now, I am not saying cut red meat out altogether, because red meat does have its good qualities. It has many vitamins and minerals, but in large quantities, it has some serious health risks. Red meat has been linked to cardiovascular disease and obesity. There is also speculation that it increases your risk for cancer, but everything now adays is linked to cancer, so I do not know how efficacious those studies are.
So what about the Atkins diet? Will you lose weight? Most likely. Will it be healthier for you? Well that’s debatable. If you lose weight you are becoming healthier, however with long-term results, you may not be doing yourself any favors, especially if you are eating mostly red meats. If you do choose to go the Atkins diet route, consider cutting down your red meat intake and stick to white meats, particularly poultry and white fish. Fish has many health properties like Omega-3s that are very good for your heart.
Ok, so want to try an experiment? Go buy the leanest ground beef you can find, or even some pork breakfast sausage. Then buy the equivalent turkey product. One night prepare a dish using the beef or pork product and take a picture of the grease left over after you have cooked the meat. The next night make a dish but instead use the turkey product. Take a picture of the grease left over and compare. You might be surprised to see that even when they are the same leanness, e.g. 97/3 (97% fat free), there will be less grease involved with the turkey. I discovered this myself when I was cooking my turkey burgers on my George Foreman grill. I forgot to put the grease-collecting dish underneath of it, and to my surprise, I didn’t even need it! No grease was coming off my burgers. It was great!
In regards to cutting down on your meat intake, try finding other sources of protein to replace meat in one or more of your meals. Beans and rice are a delicious and good sources of protein. I try to keep my meat intake to a small serving once a day (usually for dinner). If I had meat for lunch, then I try not have meat for dinner. When I go out to eat, I typically try to get a dish without meat, since the entrees typically have many calories in the first place. One type of food that I always try to do without meat in is Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food. It is probably my favorite type of food. Two of my favorite places to eat are Café Rio and Costa Vita. When I get the salads at these two locations, I choose to get the vegetarian salad (whereas I used to get the roast beef). I actually don’t miss the meat at all! I thought I would, but I don’t. My biggest doubt was that I was going to be hungry afterward because the salad wouldn’t fill me up. Man was I wrong! I get so full off of the rice and beans, I never needed the meat in the first place. The other great thing about trying to lessen your meat intake is that it really saves you money. Going in the vegetarian direction while eating out cuts the price of your meal down by a dollar or more. That is perfectly fine with me!
Here’s one more plug for poultry and fish. A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. This is a bladder problem in which certain foods can irritate your bladder. When my doctor gave me a list of foods I should eat sparingly or cut out completely, guess what some of the items were? All other meats besides poultry and fish. By this time, I had already cut down to poultry options and boy was I glad that I made the switch willingly. Being told you can’t eat something is not a way to make healthy options. In fact, we as humans typically do the opposite thing we are supposed to do if we are told to do it.
So here you go. Go ahead and try it. I’ve seen great results in myself and I would venture to guess that many people would too. Like I always say, what would it hurt? If you don’t believe me, ask a nutritionist or your doctor and see if it would hurt your health. I’m guessing they would say that it was a good idea to cut back on your red meat or the amount of meat you eat. Again, I am not suggesting to eliminate red meat or meat in general out of your diet altogether. Instead, just consider how much meat you are having in one serving and what type of meat you are putting into your body.
If you want to know some great places to get different meat options, just leave me a comment and I’ll help you find a place. Hope this helps!
Megan
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