Calories in Meat
Meat consumption has been steadily increasing the past few years. In fact, the USDA Food Availability Data shows an upward trend in per capita availability of meat the past ten years. This is perhaps due to popular diets encouraging people to shun carbohydrates in favor of protein. While there are plant-based sources of protein, the most popular source remains to be meat from animals. But just how healthy are these?
Let’s go over some of the most consumed types of meat to see if they’re beneficial to our health. Find out as well how you can cook meat if you are cutting down on calories.
Types of Poultry
Commonly referred to as white meat, poultry is the most consumed meat in the US today. With consumers shifting to a healthier diet, poultry has toppled beef in popularity due to its lower fat content. However, not all types of poultry are low in fat. Let’s look at five of the most consumed poultry meats.
- Chicken (Skinless chicken breast calories, calories in chicken meat)
- Turkey (Calories in turkey, turkey breast calories)
- Duck (Duck breast calories, calories in duck meat)
- Quail (Calories in quail meat)
Types of Red Meat
Meat from mammals is normally red when raw due to the protein myoglobin. Hence, the term red meat. Even with the controversy surrounding its effect on health, red meat is undoubtedly loaded with nutrients. It is a great source of protein, iron, zinc, and selenium.
- Beef (Beef calories, roast beef calories)
- Pork (Calories in pork chop, calories in pork)
- Lamb and Mutton
Which Is the Healthiest Meat?
There’s no single meat type that is healthier than all the rest. The health benefits depend on many factors, including the environment where the animals were raised and what they were fed. The nutrients also vary depending on the cut of meat.
Its caloric content would also depend on which part it comes from and how it is cooked. But to give you a general idea on how many calories you’re likely to consume, here’s a comparison of the caloric content of different types of meat based on a 100g serving.
If you want a more comprehensive comparison of the nutritional values of these meat types, use interactive comparison tool.| WHITE MEAT | Calorie Content | RED MEAT | Calorie Content |
| Chicken | 109.8 | Beef | 256.7 |
| Turkey | 98.6 | Pork | 262.4 |
| Duck | 286.6 | Lamb | 526.6 |
| Quail | 116.7 | Bison | 350.1 |
The Meat of the Matter
Even with the controversies surrounding the ill effects of meat consumption on our health and the environment, meat is still arguably a good source of protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals. It can still be a part of a healthy diet as long as you make healthier choices about which type of meat to eat and how to cook it.
Keep your consumption to around 70g per day and avoid processed meat. If you’re cutting down on calories, choose low-fat modes of cooking such as steaming, grilling, or roasting. You can also alternate meat with plant-based sources of protein such as tofu, lentils, and hempseed. Most importantly, balance your diet with ample amounts from other food groups, especially fruits and vegetables.
Ultimately, good health relies on your overall diet and lifestyle and not just on which type of meat you consume.