I already have about 50 pounds of grass-fed ground beef in my freezer but for the sake of variety, I am thinking of getting some conventional meats from the grocery.If I were to eat conventional meat a couple times a week, to save some money and for a bit of variety which cuts should I buy? I always hear people talking about buying lean meats but what cuts qualify as lean, my meat knowledge is limited? I would like suggestions for pork and beef.
|
0
|
|||||||
|
|
5
|
The main problem with the fat in conventional meat is that it contains an unhealthy ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. That's what makes grassfed fat better. The ratio is different in various species, and the difference is tremendous. Therefore, the first consideration is not which cut, but which species. Beef (regardless of whether it's raised on grain or grass) has relatively little omega-6, so it is the healthiest conventional meat. Lamb comes close. Pork is a distant third, and chicken -- forget about it. Here are the numbers for the composition of grainfed fat:
(The difference between grain-fed and grass-fed meat isn't the amount of omega-6 fat. It's the amount of omega-3 fat. Omega-6 stays the same regardless of feed, but omega-3 changes.) Note that pork has three times as much omega-6 as beef. All other things being equal, if you have to eat grain-fed meat, you're about three times better off eating beef or lamb than pork.
Some of the fat in meat is visible to the eye as white or yellow streaks called marbling. The amount of marbling varies from one animal to the another, so each package you see in the store is different. You should, of course, pick out meat that has as little marbling as possible. In addition, meat also has a lot of invisible fat. This is where a list comes in handy. The following cuts of beef are said to be the leanest ones. Numbers (where shown) are grams of lipid per grams of meat. The source is the USDA database. All meat is raw and boneless. For beef, the grade is select.
In addition, I found the following in the USDA database myself. They may be synonyms for the cuts listed above, I don't know.
And now for pork.
And now for something completely different:
|
||||||||||||
|
|
1
|
I can't afford organic chicken all the time but I compromise by buying frozen chicken breasts from whole foods. I think the brand is Nature's Rancher or something like that. They have no hormones or antibiotics and are cage-free.... not ideal but better than conventional chicken. The bags are 2.5 lbs for $9.99. If it comes down to organic (or local/unconventionally farmed) veggies or organic (etc) meat, I always pick the meat. |
||
|
|
|
1
|
Leaner meats have less white fat and marbling on them. When you see the white stuff, that is the fat. No white stuff, no fat. The marbling and fat is the tastiest part and I just go ahead and eat it because I am not afraid to eat a bit of fat. I think the whole lean cut thing is way over rated. As for conventional meats, any wild caught fish is a good option. It is marked on the package if the fish is wild caught or farmed. |
|||
|
|
1
|
Try asking the butcher for any left over organs and bones, tell him/her you have a dog (I do this). Chicken gizzards are very cheap here and a very good meat. |
|||||||||
|
|
0
|
Costco favorites include leg of lamb (4.99/lb) and pork tenderloin (2.98/lb); also "stew beef" for 3.69/lb or chuck roast for about the same. I buy a split quarter of grassfed beef every few months but supplement with supermarket meats. I'm still alive. Still feeling good. Sometimes just for kicks I'll even get some pastured chicken from the folks I get my grassfed beef from. They feed 'em grain like everyone else and the fatty acid profile sucks but damn if a chicken isn't accomodating to prepare and eat...and pricewise even the pastured leg/thigh pieces are $3.50/lb. I like some of the big chain supermarkets because there's always a deal on something if you're not discriminating. Have crockpot will buy whatever... |
||
|
|
