Superfood - March-April 2017

6SU P E R F O O D

SHOULD WE EAT MEAT?

which helps to release energy from the

foods that we eat.

There are a number of different eating

patterns associated with good health and

longevity; some include meat and others

do not:

• Traditional high-carbohydrate Asian-
  style diets (which include meat in small
  amounts, as well as fi sh)


• Vegetarian and vegan diets (which are
  m e a t -f r e e)


• Mediterranean diets (which limit red
  meat, but include poultry and fi sh)


• DASH-style diets (which include lean
  meat, fi sh and poultry)

In general, a healthy diet means:

• Basing your diet on variety of plant-
  based foods including fruits, vegetables,
  wholegrain and legumes.


• Having moderate amounts of protein
  including seafood, lean meat, eggs, nuts
  and dairy.


• Limiting red meat, refi ned grains, added
  sugar, sugary drinks and processed foods.

You can have a healthy diet whether you

eat meat or not, but caution should be

exhibited on the type of meats that you

are regularly eating; white meat such as

chicken and turkey, as well as fi sh should

be eaten more often than red meat.

RED AND PROCESSED RED MEAT

The World Cancer Research Fund

recommends to limit consumption of red

meat, such as beef, pork and lamb, and to

avoid processed red meat. The Department

of Health suggests that if you currently eat

more than 90g (3¼oz) (cooked weight) of

red and processed meat a day you should

reduce it to 70g (2½oz) a day, which is the

average daily consumption in the UK.

To put 70g (2½oz) into perspective, here is

how much the following weigh (cooked):

1 grilled rasher of back bacon: 18g (½oz)

1 slice of cooked ham: 30g (1oz)

1 slice of roast beef: 40g (1½oz)

1 grilled sausage: 55g (2oz)

1 grilled beef burger: 100g (3½oz)

1 grilled lamb chop: 104g (3½oz)

1 slice of cooked gammon: 170g (6oz)

Processed red meat is classifi ed as red

meat that has been smoked, cured or had

salt or chemical preservatives added.

Examples include ham, bacon, some

sausages, salami, chorizo and pepperoni.

Red and processed red meat consumption

is advised to be limited because of the

likely link with bowel cancer. Although

moderation is defi nitely key when it

comes to red meat, and processed red

meat in particular, the evidence is mostly

observational; meaning it cannot be

concluded that red meat causes cancer; it

is merely associated with it.

TOP TIPS FOR EATING MEAT

If you are a meat-eater, try to choose

leaner meats such as chicken and turkey

more often than red meat – and if you do

buy red meat choose the lower-fat varieties.

Avoid eating the skin on meat (remove it

before cooking if possible), and cook your

meat from fresh as opposed to buying pre-

cooked when you can.

Limit processed red meats such as salami,

sausages and pâte as they are often

higher in both calories, fat and salt. Meat

in pastry, such as pies and sausage rolls

should be eaten only occasionally.

VEGETARIAN DIETS

A well-planned vegetarian diet can be both

nutritious and healthy, and meat-free diets

have indeed been associated with lower

risks of heart disease, high blood pressure,

type 2 diabetes, obesity and various

cancers. It’s worth noting though that most

of the research is only observational and

many vegetarians may be more health-

conscious; thus being more likely

to exercise and less likely to smoke.

There are fi ve main nutrients to be aware

of if you’re thinking about becoming

vegetarian:

1. Protein: Vegetarian sources of protein
   include beans, lentils, chickpeas, soya,
   nuts and seeds as well as wheat, rice and
   maize. Milk, yoghurt and cheese also
   provide protein, in addition to meat-
   alternatives such as mycoprotein (Quorn).
   Plant-based sources of protein are in
   general incomplete (they don’t contain all
   of the essential amino acids), meaning
   it’s essential to eat a variety of them every
   day: however soya, quinoa and hemp are
   complete sources of protein.


2. Iron: Iron is responsible for making
   red blood cells and red meat is the most
   easily absorbed source of iron. In addition
   to eggs, good plant-based sources include:
   pulses, dried fruit, dark-green vegetables
   such as watercress, broccoli and spring
   greens, wholemeal bread and fortifi ed
   breakfast cereals. Try to include a source
   of vitamin C with your iron source to help

SF9_P05-07_Meat Less SHSD.indd 6 01/02/2017 15: