Buying the Right Protein for Your Diet
Find out which meats provide high-quality protein without too much fat.
In this article, you will find:
- Red meat and pork
- Other proteins
Red meat and pork
Buying the Right Protein for Your Diet
When buying beef, pork, lamb, and veal, look for lean, well-trimmed cuts. Meats are graded by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) according to their fat content and texture. Prime indicates the highest in fat (unfortunately, it's usually the most tender and juicy because of the marbled fat throughout); choice is moderately fatty; and select is the leanest. Lean meats provide a lot of high-quality protein, along with iron, B-vitamins, phosphorus, and zinc.
| Your leanest beef choices are the following: | |
| Top round | Top loin steak |
| Tenderloin | Chuck steaks |
| Lean T-bone | Lean rump |
| Lean porterhouse | Lean flank |
| Sirloin | Ground beef (only extra-lean) |
| Eye of round | Round tip |
| Bottom round | |
| Your leanest lamb and veal choices are as follows: | |
| Leg of lamb | Lamb roast |
| Foreshank | Arm chop |
| Lean loin chop | Veal roast |
| Veal loin chop | Veal cutlet |
| Your leanest pork choices are these: | |
| Tenerloin | Top loin roast |
| Center loin chips | Canadian bacon |
| Lean ham | Rib chips |
| Sirloin roast | Shoulder blade steak |
Buffalo meat and venison meat are both exceptionally lean.
