Meat and Health
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Module focus
Red meat contains high biological
protein and important macronutrients,
all of which are essential for good
health throughout life.
Most healthy balanced diets will
include lean meat in moderate
amounts, together with starchy
carbohydrates (including wholegrain
foods), plenty of fruit and vegetables
and moderate amounts of milk and
diary foods.
This module looks at the role of red
meat in the diet.
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Getting the balance right
This healthy eating model
shows the types and
proportions of food that
comprise a varied, healthy
diet.
Meat can form part of a
healthy diet.
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Meat fish and alternatives
This group is called: Meat, fish and alternatives.
It shows that these types of foods should be included in your diet.
For meat, this includes:
• beef: steak, mince, joint
• pork: ham, bacon, loin chops
• lamb: chops, mince, leg of lamb
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Role of red meat in the diet
Red meat contains high biological value
protein and important micronutrients, all of
which are essential for good health
throughout life.
Most healthy balanced diets will include lean
meat in moderate amounts, together with
starchy carbohydrates (including wholegrain
foods), plenty of fruit and vegetables and
moderate amounts of milk and dairy foods.
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How much red meat do we eat?
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
(SACN) report “Iron and Health” (2010) led to
new guidance on eating red and processed meat
from the Department of Health (Feb 2011).
The advice is:
• adults who eat over 90g of red and processed
meat a day should reduce their intake to 70g a day
on average.
Currently, 42% men and 12% women consume more
than 90g/day (2000/01 NDNS data).
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Energy and nutrients
The amount of energy provided in meat is variable.
In adults all meat (including poultry) contributes to 18% of total energy
intake, of which red meat contributes to 12% of total energy intake.
(2008/09 NDNS data)
• 1 gram of carbohydrate provides 16 kilojoules
• 1 gram of protein provides 17 kilojoules
• 1 gram of fat provides 37 kilojoules
Meat provides:
• virtually no carbohydrate
• principally protein
• variable amounts of fat
Meat with a high fat content will provide a greater amount of energy.
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Macronutrient variation in red meat
Nutrient (per
100g)
Lean Beef
Lean Lamb
Lean Pork
Chicken
(dark & light
meat)
Energy (kJ)
542
639
519
457
Protein (g)
22.5
20.2
21.8
22.3
Fat (g)
4.3
8.0
4.0
2.1
SFA (g)
1.7
3.5
1.4
0.6
MUFA (g)
1.9
3.1
1.5
1.0
PUFA (g)
0.2
0.5
0.7
0.4
Source: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods (6th edition)
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Energy, fat and protein
Energy, fat and protein content of lean and untrimmed cuts
of red meat (per 100g)
Energy
Meat (barbecued or grilled)
(kcal)
Rump steak – lean
176
Rump steak – lean and fat
203
Leg joint of lamb – lean
210
Leg joint of lamb – lean and fat 236
Loin chops of pork – lean
186
Loin chops of pork – lean and fat 255
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Fat
(g)
5.7
9.4
9.6
13.0
6.8
15.8
Protein
(g)
31.2
29.5
30.8
29.7
31.1
28.3
Protein
Dietary protein is essential for growth,
maintenance and repair of the body.
Protein is composed of chains of amino acids.
Some amino acids can be synthesised by the
body, while others – essential amino acids –
cannot.
Red meat is an important source of the eight
essential amino acids for adults. It also
provides histidine, which is considered to be an
essential amino acid for children.
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Protein
Protein from animal sources provides all the
essential amino acids needed by the body –
this type of protein is said to have a higher
biological value.
Most plant sources of protein do not provide all
the essential amino acids when consumed
individually and are therefore said to have a
lower biological value.
However, when people following vegan or
vegetarian diets combine at least two different
sources of vegetable protein, the two sources
will complement each other and the combined
foods will provide all the essential amino acids
needed by the body.
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Fat
Fat provides the richest dietary source of energy
and supplied essential nutrients such as fat
soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids.
Red meat provides saturated fatty acids, the
essential omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3)
polyunsaturated fatty acids. The amount can vary
widely depending on the type and cut of meat.
It is now recognised that it is the type of fat rather
than the total amount of fat that is particularly
important for cardiovascular disease.
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Changes in fat content
Advances in food processing
technologies, breeding programmes,
changes in animal feeds and modern
butchery techniques have led to a
decline in the fat content of carcase
meat.
In the UK over the past 15 years, fat
content has been reduced by:
• 30% for pork
• 15% for beef
• 10% for lamb
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Vitamins
Red meat contains a number of B vitamins:
• thiamin (vitamin B1)
• riboflavin (vitamin B2)
• niacin (vitamin B3)
• B6
• B12
B vitamins help release energy from the
macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat)
for the body to use.
Meat and animal products are the only foods
that naturally provide vitamin B12.
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Minerals
Iron is essential for the formation of
haemoglobin in red blood cells. It also plays an
important role in the immune system and is
required for normal energy metabolism. Iron
from meat is readily absorbed by the body.
Red meat provides 12% iron for men and 9%
for women.
46% 11-18 year old girls have iron intakes
below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake
(LRNI).
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Minerals
Zinc is essential for cell division and therefore for growth and tissue
repair. It is also necessary for normal reproductive development, a
healthy immune system and healing of wounds.
Red meat contains substantial amounts of zinc and some cuts of
beef and lamb can be classified as a good source and pork as a
source.
Red meat provides 32% zinc for men and 27% for women.
15% 11-18 year old girls have intakes below the LRNI.
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Beef
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Lamb
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Pork
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Summary
• Red meat and meat products can make an important contribution to
nutrient intakes in the diet.
• Within the context of a healthy, varied diet lean red meat contributes
protein, long chain n-3 fatty acids, and micronutrients such as iron,
zinc, selenium and vitamin D and vitamins B3 and vitamin B12).
• Some of these nutrients are more bioavailable in meat than alternative food
sources, and some have been identified
by SACN as being in short supply in the
diets of some sections of the population
(SACN, 2008).
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Activities
Activities to be added from teachers’ guide.
Meat and education/Interactives/Digi Bites Quiz 1 contains multiplechoice questions based on the first series of 15 digital videos. This
series introduces the nutritional properties of red meat within the context
of current drives to improve the British diet.
The Beef report is a small website specifically devoted to the health
benefits of eating beef as part of a balanced diet.
Order free resources to support student learning, such as Pork Tales,
Lamb Tales and Beef Tales with information poster looking at nutritional
benefits and versatility of beef. Includes recipes, cooking tips and meal
ideas.
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For further information and support,
go to:
www.meatandeducation.com
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