Hi everyone, I hope you have all had a great week so far and continue to do so. For today’s topic, let’s skip the vegetables for a minute and focus on meats. More specifically, lean meats. These cuts of meat have plenty of health benefits as well as nutrients which should not be sneered at. While they may not be everyone’s favourite cuts, there are several reasons why you should try and incorporate these into your regular diet.
What Nutrients Do Lean Meats Have?
Lean cuts of meat can come from chicken, beef, fish, turkey and more. In short, it is the cut of meat that is low in fat and is almost entirely made up of meat. You’ll know it’s a lean cut when you bite into it!
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| Yes, steaks are considered lean meat! (pic from thenews.com.pk) |
Containing much less saturated fat than other cuts of meat, it is also rich in iron and filled with complete protein. In addition, lean meats are a fantastic source of vitamin B, especially B12 which can help prevent fatigue, mood swings, memory loss and muscle weakness.
As lean meats are almost entirely made up of protein, this helps you to put on muscle or maintain it. This can also lead to a higher metabolic rate which makes it easier to burn off calories. Lean meats are also a rich source of iron which is very important for your red blood cell count as well as protein metabolism.
What Are the Health Benefits?
As mentioned earlier, the protein content of lean meats allows you to put on muscle and maintain it. This is very useful especially when it comes to diets specifically tailored to aiding weight loss. When compared with fat, protein contains 4 calories per gram while fat can contain up to 9 calories per gram. This is more than double, and highlights lean meat as a low calorie food (relatively speaking). This helps you to shed excess weight and begin building muscles. This also leads to a higher metabolism which burns off calories quicker, as mentioned previously, kick starting a healthy cycle of calorie burning which makes it harder to put on weight!
But the protein is not only good for your muscles. It also helps you look good by keeping your hair and nails appearing shiny and healthy. A lack of protein in your body would lead to the presence of dry and dull hair that is susceptible to split ends and easy breaking. The same goes for nails which may become brittle and break off easily as well.
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| Lean meat can help you get healthy hair! (pic from swfhealthandwellness.com) |
How Should I Cook Lean Meats?
It may well be tempting to fry or saute your lean meats but this only serves to rack up the fat content in it, which is what you are probably trying to avoid in the first place. Opt for cooking styles that do not require oil such as baking, poaching, grilling, steaming and others so as to keep the carbs down. Lightly seasoning it will give it flavour, and makes for a healthy and delicious meal!
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| Avoid frying or sauteing meats as the oil adds to the fat content (pic from essistore.com) |
With all the benefits to be gained from consuming lean meat, why not give it a try if it’s not already a regular part of your diet? After all, what do you have to lose (apart from a few kilos)?
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