The Trick To Keeping Red Meat Nutritious

In the world of culinary nutrition, red meat tends to get a bad rep. According to Heart.org, red meat tends to be filled with more saturated fat (i.e. the bad kind), than protein from rivals chicken, fish, and vegetables. According to Healthline, while red meat does have benefits, many studies have shown its relation to "a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death" as well as diabetes. The Scripps Health website notes that similar results have been found in studies such as the well-known Harvard School of Public Health study that examined the impact of regular meat intake on general health and discovered links to heart disease and cancer.

Red meats lovers need not despair. There is some helpful advice you can heed in order to learn the best ways to get some nutrition out of your food and not sweat the heavier side effects. Turns out, the many benefits Healthline mentions may be easy to achieve as long as you follow a few simple rules in regard to your red meat consumption.

In many cases, there's no need to avoid red meat altogether. Delish notes the advice of Dr. Alex Schwartz, who suggests it is best to rely on unprocessed versions of red meat — for instance, opting for steak instead of bacon. By limiting your consumption of processed meats, you can ensure you're getting the "protein and high in iron and vitamin B12" offered by the food source without many of the additives that come with these overly processed products.

Scripps also notes that as long as you don't have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease doesn't show up in your family history, eating red meat shouldn't be a problem for you, so long as you stick to the recommended portions sizes: six-eight ounces, once or twice per week.

While this may sound like a downgrade for those who consider red meat one of the basic food groups, there is no denying that it is a big step up from eliminating it from your diet altogether. Meat eaters can rejoice in the knowledge that they can still enjoy their meats, and remain happy and healthy, too.