Australian’s are big meat eaters! However, what meat is best when considering nutrient make up? As with any of the five food groups, it is always good to get some variety. The tables below will compare the energy, protein and fat content of different meats. This way you can choose the healthiest meat for your Australia Day BBQ!
Red meat
Red meat has the highest in saturated fat content and should therefore be limited to no more than seven serves per week. Keep in mind that one serve is 65g so that would equal a maximum of 455g of lean red meat per week – many people could eat this in two sittings! Pork and kangaroo are much leaner than the other meats in this category.
In particular – keep away from heavily processed meats like sausages, hamburger patties and so on! Always choose lean cuts of meat and remove any visible fat. Make hamburger patties healthier by choosing a 5 star, lean mince. Now Let’s see how the meat compares…
Lamb
Steak
Pork
Kangaroo
Mince
Sausage
Side by side comparison (per100g)
The table below compares all of the values above for ease of comparison.
Poultry
Poultry is leaner than most red meat and is very versatile. One serve of poultry is larger than a serve of red meat, sitting at 80g. Remember, you can have more than one serve per day. For example, a woman between 19 and 50 can have 2 ½ serves of protein per day which would be 200g of chicken. Though keep in mind that protein also includes eggs, nuts, legumes and other meats.
Chicken
Turkey
Duck
Eggs
Side by side comparison (per100g)
Remember to remove the skin from your poultry or this will bump the fat content right up!
Seafood
Seafood is important to include in your weekly diet regime. It is full of healthy fats and low on saturated fats. In addition, it is still a great source of protein! 115g of raw fish (or 100g of cooked fish) is one serving and it is recommended that we have 2-3 serves per week.
Salmon
White fish
Tuna
Prawns
Side by side comparison (per100g)
Salmon is high in fat but mostly poly and mono unsaturated fats that have many health benefits! As you can see, the other types of seafood listed are very lean.
Contact us for results focused nutritional advice
This article was written by our dietitian Belinda Elwin who is a Dietitians Association of Australia member and Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist. If you have questions about healthy eating, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns.
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