Many modern diets involve the rejection of meat, ostensibly for the sake of beauty and health. However, doctors are sure that with this approach to nutrition, both appearance and physical form will suffer. Why meat should be eaten at any age, what types of it are more useful and how it should be cut, cooked and stored so that it does not lose its benefits – in the material of Izvestia.
Useful for everyone
Experts in healthy and nutritious nutrition do not get tired of repeating: meat contains essential amino acids, minerals and trace elements. Hepatologist, gastroenterologist Sergey Vyalov believes that giving up meat at any age is bad. And all because people do not get the necessary amount of amino acids and vitamins from plant foods. In order to live an active life, a person needs about one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Photo: Global Look Press/imageBROKER/Michaela Begsteiger
According to the expert, if people refuse meat, for example, because of their worldview or under the influence of fashion, then the risk of not getting nutrients should be taken into account. Compensate for their deficiency will have to use special drugs. But any supplements should be prescribed by a doctor after a detailed examination.
“Sometimes people refuse meat because they don’t feel well, supposedly because they just don’t feel like it. In this case, you need to understand that this is not a decrease in the body’s need for protein foods, but a signal that there are problems with the liver, intestines or stomach, explains Sergey Vyalov.
According to the expert, the rejection of meat will bring only a temporary improvement in well-being. When with the help of doctors it is possible to get rid of the disease, then you can continue to eat meat.
Brer Rabbit
According to Dr. Vyalov, in principle, all meat is the same – the difference in chemical composition between varieties is only 10%. Much more important is its quality and the age of the animal. Nevertheless, nutritionist Lyudmila Mykityuk notes that among meat products there are special types that can enrich the body with useful substances as much as possible.
– Rabbit meat is considered dietary and has unique nutritional properties. It contains a large amount of protein and surpasses even chicken in this indicator. Such meat is absorbed by the human body almost completely and rather quickly, – says Lyudmila Mykityuk.
Photo: Global Look Press/imageBROKER/gourmet-vision
According to the expert, the delicate pulp of rabbit meat is suitable for people who have problems with digestion and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
The nutritionist calls horse meat the most environmentally friendly meat. Horse meat does not contain antibiotics, and the protein is perfectly balanced in terms of amino acid composition.
“As for vitamins and microelements, horse meat holds the record for the content of thiamine, riboflavin, copper, iron and magnesium,” says the interlocutor.
fashion turkey
Turkey began to gain popularity in Russia relatively recently. In the last century, this meat was not cooked in every family. Now there is a special demand for such a product.
– Compared to other types of birds, the turkey contains much less fat and calories, but in terms of protein composition it is not inferior to other types of meat. It has a huge amount of selenium and vitamin B, as well as nicotinic acid and phosphorus. Moreover, in terms of phosphorus content, the turkey surpasses even some types of fish, – continues Lyudmila Mykityuk.
Turkey meat is well absorbed by the body and at the same time satisfies the feeling of hunger for a long time. And since turkey has a moderate cholesterol content, it is suitable for people suffering from obesity or atherosclerosis.
However, the doctor believes that you should not give up red meat in favor of turkey, unless there are direct instructions from the doctor.
Photo: Izvestiya/Mikhail Tereshchenko
We need red meat not only because it has a lot of essential amino acids. This product is the only source of iron in an accessible form for absorption, the so-called heme iron. In particular, it is necessary for the female body, says the doctor.
Among women of reproductive age, iron deficiency anemia is now widespread, the expert emphasizes. This is partly physiological, as the female body regularly loses iron.
– The maximum concentration of iron is not even in the meat itself, but in the beef liver and tongue. Next in descending order are rabbit meat, horse meat and beef. It is important not to forget that the more varied your diet, the better is the replenishment of all the necessary elements for good health and well-being, says Lyudmila Mykityuk.
The nutritionist recommends eating red meat no more than twice a week, preferably at lunchtime and in combination with a rich vegetable side dish.
Lamb or quail
Mutton in Russia is traditionally either not tolerated because of its specific smell, or, on the contrary, is considered the meat of the best quality and taste. The difference in perception is connected both with the cultural differences of the different ethnic groups inhabiting the country, and with the personal preferences of culinary specialists and consumers.
Some people consider lamb to be a very fatty type of meat. Of course, there is fat in lamb, but its amount is much less than in the same pork. At the same time, lamb contains a lot of lecithin, which is responsible for normalizing cholesterol levels. Such meat should be used with caution by people with diseases of the cardiovascular system, the expert warns.
Photo: Global Look Press/Keystone Press Agency/Aleph Farms
Lyudmila Mikityuk advises eating lamb with a lot of garnish and, if possible, not using fat that melts during cooking.
Quail meat is usually assigned the role of a delicacy. Meanwhile, it is very beneficial for health and is especially suitable for those who have problems with excess weight.
– 100 g of quail meat contains only 230 kilocalories, a large amount of vitamins, minerals and protein. Moreover, this protein is very quickly absorbed by the body. It is believed that quail meat helps to recover more easily and quickly after a serious illness or blood loss, says the nutritionist.
Both old and young
Lyudmila Mykityuk believes that with age it is necessary to adjust not only your lifestyle, but also your diet. This is due to the inevitable changes in the body.
– After 30 years, the diet should contain foods rich in mineral and vitamin elements, antioxidants. Stress is the main provocateur that changes a person’s appetite. Muscle mass requires protein. It is better to choose lean meats (veal, rabbit) or chicken, turkey, quail. For the whole day, 200–300 g of the product is enough, the nutritionist comments.
For those who have crossed the 50-year mark, Lyudmila Mykityuk recommends eating more fiber, which is saturated in vegetables and fruits, than meat, since it is much more difficult to digest.
Photo: Izvestia / Dmitry Korotaev
– At this age, the main energy is no longer spent on building muscles, but on maintaining the general condition of the body. It is important to limit the consumption of overly saturated meat broths and fatty meats. It is preferable to eat 100-150 g of white poultry meat (an easily digestible protein), and also no more than once a week – a small portion of red lean meat, the nutritionist says.
In babies, according to Mykityuk, the digestive system is not yet very well developed, so you can’t overload it too much. The nutritionist advises choosing poultry meat for baby food – turkey, chicken. Such products are suitable for children aged six months to one year.
– It is ideal to feed babies with rabbit meat, as it does not cause allergies, is quickly absorbed and has a rich vitamin and mineral composition. Then you can enter beef, lamb, venison and horse meat with a mass fraction of fat of not more than 9%. The daily norm is 100–150 g, the nutritionist explains.
Do not wet
From any, even the most valuable product, there will be no benefit if it is prepared without observing special rules. The interlocutor emphasizes that during heat treatment, meat loses a number of its useful properties.
To preserve the maximum benefit and emphasize the taste of food, a nutritionist advises cooking meat with some nuances.
– Wash meat very quickly before cooking so as not to lose water-soluble B vitamins. Chicken and turkey meat should not be moistened before cutting. Soaking will also lead to the loss of vitamins, says Lyudmila Mykityuk.
Photo: Global Look Press/dpa/Christin Klose
Small pieces of meat should not be left in the refrigerator for a long time to avoid loss of nutrients. Steaks should be beaten only when necessary, since juices flow out of crushed meat fibers, and iron and magnesium are lost along with them.
Meat should be processed as little as possible before cooking to retain as much of its valuable nutrients as possible. The main methods of heat treatment are boiling, baking, frying, grilling and stewing. Lyudmila Mikityuk advises throwing meat into boiling water for cooking – this way it will be juicier. If you start cooking in cold water, then most of the nutrients pass into the broth. However, this allows you to prepare a rich broth. The less the meat is exposed to temperature, the better its taste. The doctor considers grilling, baking and stewing to be the most beneficial for health. With such methods, taste qualities are preserved, and most of the nutrients remain in the product.
Ready-to-eat cold foods should be stored at or below 4°C.
“The temperature range from 4 to 60 °C is the most dangerous in terms of microbiological spoilage of ready meals, since it is at this temperature that bacteria in food multiply especially quickly,” says Lyudmila Mykityuk.
According to the nutritionist, it is undesirable to eat prepared meals (especially perishable foods such as meat) if they have been left at room temperature for more than two hours. At temperatures above 35 ° C, this period is reduced to an hour.
The expert recommends storing cooked meat and poultry in the refrigerator for 3-4 days at temperatures up to 4 °C. In the freezer, such dishes are stored for 2-6 months.
mince ahead
The expert advises choosing ready-made minced meat from trusted manufacturers or making it yourself. You need to be sure that the raw materials are of high quality and fresh, since bacteria multiply rapidly in such a semi-finished product.
Photo: Izvestia / Dmitry Korotaev
– Minced meat has certain advantages: it is the speed of cooking and a low price compared to a whole piece of meat. It is digested faster by the body, which protects our digestive system and its most vulnerable organ – the pancreas, which produces enzymes. The gallbladder also benefits from such nutrition, says Lyudmila Mikityuk.