Australian_Healthy_Food_Guide_February_2017

We’re a meat-eating nation,

but just how much is too much?

Paula Goodyer has the answer.

ME AT

How much is safe?

SCIENCE UPDATE

THE GOOD NEWS ...

Key iron source

Besides being a great source of

protein, zinc and B vitamins, meat

is also an easily absorbed source of

iron, which helps prevent anaemia.

In Australia, around 15 per cent

of women and eight per cent of

preschoolers have anaemia,

according to the World

Health Organization.

Symptoms of anaemia

include being constantly

tired, lethargic and lacking

in concentration. So, eating

more red meat is a good way to meet

your daily iron requirements.

A protein fix

Meat is one of the best sources of

protein. This is not only beneficial

for building muscles, but it is also

very important for keeping you

feeling full, so you’re less likely

to overeat between meals.

People who avoid meat often do so

out of concern that the fat content will

make them gain weight, when, in fact,

the protein in meat helps with satiety.

The protein in meat

helps keep us feeling

full until our next meal

FEBRUARY 2017 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 41

I

t feels like we’re caught in a tug ‘o war over

red meat. On one side are the meat-loving

people from planet Paleo, while on the other

are headlines claiming meat causes cancer.

As the nation fires up the barbie for summer’s

festival of scorched meat and snags, it’s a good

time to ask: should we eat more — or

less — meat? We investigate both

sides of the story to give you

the full picture.