Keeping It Lean: How Red Meat Can Fit into Your Diet
In your diet lineup, red meat should play
only a supporting role. It can have a lot
of artery-clogging saturated fat. And
one study found that eating red meat
more than three times a week boosted
the risk for a certain type of breast cancer
in women ages 26 to 46.
But you can enjoy an occasional steak. Just keep it lean. Lean red meat boasts plenty of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, and phosphorus, not to mention antioxidants. And compared to fattier cuts, lean red meat contains less unhealthy cholesterol and saturated fat.
A healthier steak starts with how you choose and prepare it. Keep these tips in mind:
- Ask for your steak by name. The least fatty steaks include sirloin tip, tenderloin, flank, round, London broil, and filet mignon.
- Read the label. “Select” is the leanest grade of beef. Medium-lean meat is labeled “choice.” And beef carrying the label “prime” is marbled with fat.
- Consider your options. When shopping, look for grass-fed beef. Compared with grain-fed beef, it’s leaner. Another option: bison. It’s mostly grass-fed and is as tender as beef without the marbled fat. It also has more iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.
- Prepare it right. Trim any visible fat and limit yourself to 3 ounces or less—about the size of a deck of cards—per serving.
- Let it soak. Leaner steaks especially will be more tender if you marinate them before cooking. Marination may offer health benefits, too. A recent article in the Journal of Food Science concluded that applying commercial marinades to round steaks before grilling reduced potential cancer-causing compounds called HCAs by about 71 percent. All the marinades contained several spices from the mint family. Before grilling, try marinades with thyme, red pepper, black pepper, allspice, rosemary, and chives.
