A healthy balanced diet can include protein from meat, as well as from fish and eggs or non-animal sources such as beans and pulses. Meats such as chicken, pork, lamb and beef are all rich in protein. Red meat provides us with iron, zinc and B vitamins. Meat is one of the main sources of vitamin B12 in the diet.
Eating too much red meat could be bad for your health. Sizzling steaks and juicy burgers are staples in many people's diets. But research has shown that regularly eating red meat and processed meat can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer.
Hu points out that the exact amounts for safely consuming red meat are open to debate. "The evidence shows that people with a relatively low intake have lower health risks," he says. "A general recommendation is that people should stick to no more than two to three servings per week."
Think twice before you eat meat for your next meal.
Yes meat is a great source of protein and other essential nutrients, but it also contains saturated fat that can clog your arteries. Eating meat at every meal is not healthy for anyone, including body builders who have a much higher protein requirement.
Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends consuming no more than an average of 1.8 ounces of red meat, 1.5 ounces of poultry and 0.4 ounces of seafood per day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The rest of your protein foods should be from non-meat sources.
Eating chicken every day is not bad, but you need to be cautious while choosing the right one and cooking it right too. Chicken may cause food poisoning because of salmonella, a bacterium found in poultry chicken that can cause food-borne illnesses.
But is it safe to eat fish every day? “For most individuals it's fine to eat fish every day,” says Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, in an August 30, 2015 article on Today.com, adding that “it's certainly better to eat fish every day than to eat beef every day.”
The bottom line: Eggs are not meat, but they do have a similar level of protein.
How often should you eat red meat? Try to limit your red meat consumption to 1 to 2 serving per week, which is 6 ounces or less per week. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, the recommendation is to limit red meat to less than or equal to 3 ounces per week.
Generally speaking, eating salmon every day is not always recommended, unless you eat small amounts. “The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people consume 8 to 10 ounces of seafood per week, especially fish that are lower in mercury, which would include salmon,” says Pike.
Dietary goal
If you eat red meat, limit consumption to no more than about three portions per week. Three portions is equivalent to about 350–500g (about 12–18oz) cooked weight.
Is it OK to eat eggs every day? Because of their numerous benefits, it's OK to eat one whole egg, including the egg yolk, every day if you don't have cardiovascular disease and you do have a healthy level of blood cholesterol. Or you can mix two egg whites with every egg yolk to give yourself more protein.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern recommends the average person eat 26 ounces of poultry (including chicken) per week. Per day, this would be roughly the same as eating 3.5 ounces of chicken breast.
Chicken has long been considered a healthy alternative to red meat. And it is indeed low in saturated fat, contains higher amounts of omega-6 fatty acids than other animal meats, and is high in protein and essential vitamins and minerals such as B6, B12, iron, zinc, and copper.
In general, red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) have more saturated fat than skinless chicken, fish and plant proteins. Saturated fats can raise your blood cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. If you eat poultry, pork, beef or other meats, choose lean meat, skinless poultry, and unprocessed forms.
You may feel tired and weak if you cut meat out of your diet. That's because you're missing an important source of protein and iron, both of which give you energy. The body absorbs more iron from meat than other foods, but it's not your only choice.
A Quick Review
If you stick with healthy food choices, you'll likely lose weight and snack less. You may also see improvements in your skin and energy levels. Just make sure to get enough of all the vitamins and minerals you need, especially B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, which can be lacking in vegan diets.
Eggs not only contain less protein, but also significantly more cholesterol. A large egg has about 3.6 grams of fat and 140 milligrams of cholesterol. A 3-ounce serving of pork, turkey, chicken or ground beef ranges between 1.5 to 5 grams of fat and 50 to 60 milligrams of cholesterol.
Japanese people eat about 3 ounces of fish daily, on average, while typical Americans eat fish perhaps twice a week. Nutritional studies show that the intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fish averages 1.3 grams per day in Japan, as compared to 0.2 grams per day in the United States.
The American Heart Association recommends up to one egg a day for most people, fewer for people with high blood cholesterol, especially those with diabetes or who are at risk for heart failure, and up to two eggs a day for older people with normal cholesterol levels and who eat a healthy diet.
While they are both excellent sources of protein and add to your nutrient profile, the benefits of fish tend to be slightly higher than chicken, especially when it comes to the Omega-3 content in it.
Cured meats, cold cuts, salami, and hot dogs are just a few examples of processed meats to limit or avoid. Scientific consensus confirms that eating large amounts of these processed meats will raise your risk of colon cancer. These meats are often high in both sodium and saturated fats, Malkani says.
Healthiest options: turkey and chicken
Keep in mind poultry is healthiest if you remove the skin, which is the fattiest part. “Once the skin is off, the difference between white meat and dark meat is negligible in terms of fat and calories, so go for the one you like,” says Schiff.
Here's what they said. Wild Alaskan salmon, oysters and sardines are highest in healthy fats; white fish such as cod or flounder tend to be leaner. White meat has slightly less saturated fat than dark. Turkey is fairly comparable to chicken in nutrients, but both its dark and white meat are slightly leaner.