From fish to bacon, the best meats to eat for a healthy life – and those to avoid
- With new research regularly giving conflicting results, experts offer guidance on which meats and cuts of meat are the best for you
- Here’s what they say, and how small changes in your diet can make you feel better
As an average consumer, you probably have a vague awareness of the nutritional value of your meats – fish being better than red meat, for example. The issue can be complicated, because all meats have pros and cons, research can come up with conflicting results, and studies can surprise us. For example, research suggests that, in terms of cholesterol alone, eating white meat chicken is as bad for you as eating beef.
Still, there’s a generally agreed-upon hierarchy of nutritional value when it comes to meat, and small shifts in your diet might have greater effects than you realise. In a study of the Danish population, researchers found that Danes collectively could gain more than 7,000 years of healthy life annually if they ate the recommended quantity (340 grams per week) of fish while replacing red and processed meats in their diet.
“It’s important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all healthier diet or meat per se,” says Dr Janese Laster, a nutrition specialist in Washington, the US capital. “There are differences in farming practices, so throughout the United States, each person is getting different risks and benefits from the meats.”
Keeping that in mind, here are some conclusions that can be made about different categories of meat.
A cut above: fish and poultry
Poultry and fish are considered the best meats you can load your diet with, Laster says. Fish is hailed for its omega-3 fatty acids, which can protect against cardiovascular disease. Fish is also rich in vitamin D, selenium and protein.