2024-01-09 19:55:50
Published9. January 2024, 8:55 p.m
Health risk: This meat can be on your menu regularly
Do you want to eat meat but not harm your body as much as possible? We asked two experts which is the unhealthiest and which is the healthiest meat at the meat counter.
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At a loss at the meat counter? Experts give tips on which meat is the healthiest.
Madeleine Schoder
Eat meat – or don’t eat meat and prefer alternatives? A question that many people ask, especially during Veganuary (a campaign where you eat vegan in the month of January). But you don’t have to make such a drastic decision – at least if you’re only concerned about personal health aspects. Because there are types of meat that are healthier than others.
Instead of giving up completely straight away, you can try opting for healthier meat. But which meat should be on your plate and which should not be? We asked two experts.
Sausage and meat loaf perform poorly
Marina Beyeler, nutritionist at Oviva, explains which meat can have the most negative impact on your health. She says clearly: “Processed meat such as sausage, sausage products or meat loaf due to the high content of animal fat and saturated fatty acids and often additives.” She also advises against red meat. This could, especially in large quantities, increase the risk of colon cancer.
Also for Dr. med. Dent. Aline Birgelen, Nutrition expert in Zurich, is clear: “The unhealthiest types of meat certainly include all types of processed meat, such as sausages and meatloaf. These often contain a lot of salt, a lot of saturated fatty acids and preservatives.”
It’s better to avoid sausages and meatloaf more often.
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Game is relatively healthy
And which meat is the healthiest if you don’t want to go without it? “Poultry such as chicken or turkey because it contains a lot of protein and little fat,” says Beyeler. According to her, there are roughly three rankings among the types of meat: In first place and therefore the healthiest: “Chicken, without skin and unprocessed.” In second place? “Unprocessed red meat.” This includes pork as well as beef. In third place, and therefore the unhealthiest: “Sausage products and processed meat.”
Also Dr. Birgelen considers poultry to be the healthiest type of meat, primarily because of its high protein content in relation to the amount of fat. But game meat can also be considered healthy. “Game meat contains few saturated fatty acids, but some of the valuable omega-3 fatty acids. Since game lives freely in nature and is not fed, its meat is certainly free of antibiotics.”
These are the risks
If you often eat unhealthy types of meat, it affects your health, as Marina Beyeler explains: “Elevated blood lipid levels, promoted by eating meat, can lead to arteriosclerosis, heart attack, stroke and other vascular diseases.” And further: “Consumption of processed meat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and especially colon cancer.”
“Ideally, the meat should be as little processed as possible and come from species-appropriate husbandry,” says Birgelen. “I would prefer poultry and game meat, but high-quality beef, veal or lamb can also be on the menu regularly. I would be more cautious about pork.” The expert would only eat processed meat products such as sausages and fried foods in exceptional cases.
This is how you prepare meat healthily
“The preparation is also very important. For example, if pieces of meat are breaded or deep-fried, they inevitably become unhealthier,” says Birgelen. It is also important what type of fat you use for frying. If you use sunflower oil, for example, heating it very strongly could result in the formation of trans fats that are harmful to your health.
Beyeler explains which preparation methods for meat are the healthiest: “Steaming, boiling, roasting or grilling at low temperatures are generally healthier preparation methods than vigorous frying or grilling at high temperatures.”
What meat do you like to eat the most? Could you imagine eating it less often?
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