Cooking For Health
10 Tips to Cut Fat in Meat and Poultry
When it comes to meat and poultry there are healthier cuts than
others you can choose. And, of course, there are ways to prepare
meat that can reduce fat as well.
Here are tips to help you make the best choices for reduced fat
and preparing your meat and poultry as healthily as possible.
- Buy the healthiest cut possible.1
Here are the healthiest choices by type of meat or poultry:
Beef
- Tip sirloin
- Beef tenderloin
- Flank steak
- Roast beef, extra lean deli-style
- Ground beef 90% fat free
Chicken
- Ground chicken
- Ground chicken breast or chicken breast filet
- Chicken leg, no skin
Lamb
Pork
Turkey
- Ground turkey
- Ground turkey breast or turkey breast filet
- Read the nutrition facts.2
Fat and calorie contents for ground meat and poultry can vary significantly. Make sure to read the labels.
In order for meat or poultry to be labeled “lean” the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that it has to contain 10 grams of fat or less per a four ounce serving. To be considered “extra-lean” it must be five grams or less per serving.
When buying ground beef, in particular look for the packages with the highest percentage lean meat, which 90 percent or higher.
- Consider low-fat for turkey and chicken as well.3
Because of the presence of dark meat and skin, ground poultry can have as much fat as ground beef. For the leanest choice, choose ground breat meat or low-fat ground chicken or turkey.
- Select meet with less visible fat.3
You can identify fattier meat by the marbled appearance. Avoid beef that is labeled “Prime” which tends to have more fat, and choose beef that is labeled “Choice” or “Select.”
- Trim off visible solid fat.
This makes a big difference in that fat content, obviously. And, also includes the skin on poultry. You can also trim visible fat from beef and pork after cooking.
- Mix and match2
Try blending meats so that you can retain some of the especially tasty, but fattier meats. For instance, you can mix an 85 percent lean beef with a low ground turkey. You’ll still have a delicious burger with much less fat than an all-beef option.
Another option is to add breadcrumbs or cracked wheat into the equation. You can combine these with fattier meats. Keep in mind that a filler shouldn’t be more than 1/3 of the patty or they can come apart during cooking.
- Use low-fat marinades.3
Marinades can add a delicious burst of taste to meat and poultry and keep it moist, but they can also up your fat intake. Make sure to look for low-fat marinades—mixtures of herbs and spices with wine, soy sauce or lemon juice.
- Use low-fat cooking methods.
Low-fat cooking methods include grilling, broiling, roasting, sautéing and baking. If you do cook your meat in the oven, make sure to put the meat on a rack in a baking pan so that the fat can drip away.
- Drain fat
A study from the Journal of American Dietetic Association showed that fat content could be cut by as much as half if the fat was drained from a skilled after meat had been cooked and then the meat was rinsed under hot water.
This is the same effect that is achieved with a contact grill that facilitates the draining off of fat as the meat cooks.
Another technique is to actually blot grease from the steak or burger with a paper towel after it is cooked.
- Pay attention to serving sizes.3
You can further reduce your fat and cholesterol intake when you reduce your portion sizes of meat and poultry. For reference, three ounces of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards—and three ounces also is half a boneless chicken breast, one skinless chicken leg with thigh and two thin slices of roast beef.
Sources:
Good Housekeeping¸ Tracy Olgeaty Gensler, M.S. R.D.
Associated Press, Jim Romanoff
www.mayoclinic.com