Nutrition Frenzy

Lots of heart-conscious consumers and waist watchers have recently rehabbed their steak knives, having found that — hang onto your knife sharpener — eating a little red meat doesn’t necessarily put you on the fast track to Fat Central. It’s not the meat itself; it’s the aging, artery-clogging, cholesterol-soaring, saturated fat in meat that you want to minimize. Here’s how:

1. Select the best. When you’re shopping for meat, choose cuts labeled USDA Select grade; they have less fat than Choice and Prime.

2. Go lean. Choose packages labeled “lean” or “extra lean” whenever possible. Lean means the meat has fewer than 8.5 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving; extra lean has fewer than 4 grams.

3. Stay on the grass. Try to buy meat labeled “grass fed” or “pasture raised.” It may have 25% to 50% less fat, fewer calories, and more heart-healthy omega-3s than regular grain-fed meat. (It also suggests the animal was raised humanely.)

4. Slice away. Trim external fat before cooking, and use that well-sharpened knife to remove any fat that’s still there once it’s on your plate. Doing so can slash fat intake by as much as half.

5. Keep it separate. Broil, grill, or roast meat on grills or pans that drain away fat.

6. Towel off. To remove both grease and calories, blot meatballs and burgers with paper towels after cooking.

7. Know your limits. Minimize meat-centered meals. RealAge recommends no more than one serving of red meat a week. One serving, says the USDA, is the size of a deck of cards, or about 3 ounces.

Mmmm, Meat: The Slimmest, Trimmest Cuts to Satisfy Your Cravings

Lamb chops or pork chops, bison burgers or veal breast, round roast or porterhouse steak? Sure, you know meat’s high in cholesterol and saturated fat, and that it’s less healthful than fish and poultry, but what if you really, really need to tear into some red meat now and then? Use this guide to find the slimmest, trimmest cuts and kinds. Now enjoy not just the flavors but also the health benefits: Most meat is rich in top-quality protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and other nutrients that aren’t easy to get elsewhere.

What’s the Leanest Meat of All?
We hope you’re ready to expand your dinner horizons, because bison (or buffalo) is the big winner. (Deer and elk are right on its hooves, er, heels.) Believe it or not, bison has slightly less fat and fewer calories (2 grams and 122 calories per 3-ounce serving) than skinless light-meat chicken (3 grams and 144 calories). Plus, it’s a terrific source of protein (24 grams) and iron. The taste? Similar to beef, though slightly sweeter and richer. Try it in your own burger recipe or this grilled buffalo steak dish. Bonus: With bison (wild game, too), you aren’t exposed to the cancer-linked growth hormones and antibiotics often administered to farm-raised cows.

Things That Go “Mooo!”
Beef and veal are skinniest when they’re loin or round cuts, such as beef bottom sirloin (6 grams fat, 150 calories) and top round veal (3 grams fat, 128 calories). Avoid veal cutlets and breast meat.

If You Prefer Pork . . .
Choose leg cuts, such as ham, or loin, as in boneless sirloin pork chops or top loin chops (both have about 7 grams of fat and 170 calories).

Lamb Lovers
Try cuts from the shank half of the leg (if labels aren’t clear, ask the butcher). Well-trimmed shank-half cuts have 5–6 grams of fat and about 155 calories per serving. So what’s the reward for becoming your butcher’s new best friend?