Meat Fat?

SummerFun2011

Hello!

I am confused about the fats in meat? I love the taste of ground beef, and always buy 80/20 or 85/15. I do not hit my fat goal most days without it. And I do not want to give it up. I know many people on here say you have to eat lean meats, but why? Not all the fat in meat is saturated, so are there some good fats?

DannyMussels

Generally speaking, the more fat in something, the higher the calories. And the majority of people on here are trying to lose weight, which means lower their caloric intake, which is why they suggest lots of veggies and lean meats.

LorinaLynn

From what I've read, it's not so much the fat in red meat as the other ingredients, like nitrates and sodium, that's the problem. Once in a while? No problem. I enjoy pork, steak, burgers and meatballs. But I mostly stick to chicken or fish because it gives me the most bang (and protein) for the calories.

amandamyers1212

peanut butter is a good way to get healthy fats and also its loaded with protein. i usually eat some on bread or with pretzels before a workout for an extra energy boost.

neanderthin

From what I've read, it's not so much the fat in red meat as the other ingredients, like nitrates and sodium, that's the problem. Once in a while? No problem. I enjoy pork, steak, burgers and meatballs. But I mostly stick to chicken or fish because it gives me the most bang (and protein) for the calories.

Your thinking processed meats. It's a combination of the left over dogma that fat will make you fat and somehow the saturated fat in meat is dangerous to our health.

bcattoes

Pretty much every major medical organization recommends eating lean meats because of the saturated fat content in meat, beef in particular.

servilia

peanut butter is a good way to get healthy fats and also its loaded with protein. i usually eat some on bread or with pretzels before a workout for an extra energy boost.

Not saying peanut butter is bad but you can do much better if you want a decent source of protein. I mean 90/100 cals per tbsp and only 3 or 4 g of protein for most brands...

ps to everyone else saturated fat is not the evil monster you've all been told.

neanderthin

peanut butter is a good way to get healthy fats and also its loaded with protein. i usually eat some on bread or with pretzels before a workout for an extra energy boost.

Not saying peanut butter is bad but you can do much better if you want a decent source of protein. I mean 90/100 cals per tbsp and only 3 or 4 g of protein for most brands...

ps to everyone else saturated fat is not the evil monster you've all been told.

Plus the fat in peanut butter is almost all omega 6's, which is not what we want in our diet in these amounts....probably something like almond butter would be better as far as our fat intake is concerned.

pmjsmom

Hello!

I am confused about the fats in meat? I love the taste of ground beef, and always buy 80/20 or 85/15. I do not hit my fat goal most days without it. And I do not want to give it up. I know many people on here say you have to eat lean meats, but why? Not all the fat in meat is saturated, so are there some good fats?

Years ago I watched an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats where he 'explored' the fat in ground beef. Basically, once you drain off the fat and rinse the meat with hot water the fat content is the same as the leaner ground beef. So, a lot depends on how you are cooking it.
Hamburgers tend to need a higher fat meat so they don't end up dry.
Precooking the ground meat for sauces and casseroles, etc. removes most of the fat when it is drained and rinsed.
I cook meat loaf on a rack or some crumpled up foil so it doesn't sit in the fat.

Here's one of the sites explaining this:
http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Reducing Fat in Ground Beef.pdf

cottonpunk

Hello!

I am confused about the fats in meat? I love the taste of ground beef, and always buy 80/20 or 85/15. I do not hit my fat goal most days without it. And I do not want to give it up. I know many people on here say you have to eat lean meats, but why? Not all the fat in meat is saturated, so are there some good fats?

Years ago I watched an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats where he 'explored' the fat in ground beef. Basically, once you drain off the fat and rinse the meat with hot water the fat content is the same as the leaner ground beef. So, a lot depends on how you are cooking it.
Hamburgers tend to need a higher fat meat so they don't end up dry.
Precooking the ground meat for sauces and casseroles, etc. removes most of the fat when it is drained and rinsed.
I cook meat loaf on a rack or some crumpled up foil so it doesn't sit in the fat.

Here's one of the sites explaining this:
http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Reducing Fat in Ground Beef.pdf

I saw that, too! I always rinse my ground beef with water now.

jacksonpt

Generally speaking, the more fat in something, the higher the calories. And the majority of people on here are trying to lose weight, which means lower their caloric intake, which is why they suggest lots of veggies and lean meats.

+

to everyone else saturated fat is not the evil monster you've all been told.

=

2 thumbs up to red meat.

SummerFun2011

I too am trying to lose weight, but I keep my protein and fat high. I think ground beef is very filling
But what I don't understand is why people avoid red meat like its the plague? I mean the ground beef I have has only 75mg of sodium per serving and not completely made of saturated fat. So i guess im trying to figure out why to avoid it?

Also I am allergic to nuts and hate seafood :sad: so i don't get a lot of fats unfortunately

vs1023

Generally speaking, the more fat in something, the higher the calories. And the majority of people on here are trying to lose weight, which means lower their caloric intake, which is why they suggest lots of veggies and lean meats.

+

to everyone else saturated fat is not the evil monster you've all been told.

=

2 thumbs up to red meat.

Ditto. Don't buy into the saturated fat myth which merely boosted the low fat food industry.

servilia

ewww why would anyone rinse their ground beef with water??

asyouseefit

Rinsing ground beef? My inner gourmet is crying right now!

sjohnny

Rinsing ground beef? My inner gourmet is crying right now!

Yeah! The fat's where the flavor is.

Shanna_Inc86

Have you ever tried deer meat? or Organic beef?

I also use to rinse my burger...the grease made me want to vomit

I recently got some slabs of back meat, literally slabs that I had to cut up
I'm so excited to cook some up tonight!

neanderthin

Hello!I am confused about the fats in meat? Not all the fat in meat is saturated, so are there some good fats?

Flank steak for example, one of my favorite cuts, lots of flavor and lean as well.

Here's the basic breakdown for about 1/4 lb or a serving.
7 total g's of fat.

3 g's of saturated fat
4g's of unsaturated.

The breakdown of the saturated fat goes something like this.

1.8 g's is palmitic acid
0.8 g's is stearic acid
the balance is a combination of my myristic and lauric acid.

Whithin these individual fatty acids you may recognize a few of them. Stearic acid is what the health establishment attributes to dark chocolate healthfulness. Lauric acid is what most of what makes coconut oil, which is what's called a medium chain triglyceride MCT and is metabolised quite differently than any other fat, it's burned as immediate energy (ATP) and not stored as body fat. The proposed dark side of saturated fat is the palmitic acid which can increase LDL, and I say can, because when palmitic acid is isolated it will raise LDL (the whole LDL thing is another story) but in the presence of stearic acid it will compensate for that increase in LDL to a large degree, and any natural saturated fat that has palmitic will also have stearic acid in it....what all these saturated fats have in common is that also increase HDL, which is now shown to be a big factor with nationwide HDL levels at an all time low. So much for dissecting nutrition.

The breakdown of the unsaturated fat.

There's about 4 g's of unsaturated fat.

2.5 to 3.o g's of oleic acid
1 g of omega's

Oleic acid is the same fat found in olive oil, nuff said. The breakdown of the omega's are basically 2:1 omega 6 to omega 3, which is considered an optimal ratio. Farm raised, organic, grass fed, higher latitute will effect the fat profile of beef or animals in general and for the better.

Basically there's nothing wrong with eating red meat at all, leaner and naturally raised is better, so eat up, in moderation.

Hope this helps you better understand that saturated fat and red meat is not the evil deluge that mother nature as put upon the earth to kill off the human race.

neanderthin

ewww why would anyone rinse their ground beef with water??

Sure bcatt would....lol j/k.

Mmmary212

I buy and eat the fattiest meat available...and retain all fat from cooking the meats and either eat with the meat or reuse it to cook other foods.

Mmmary212

peanut butter is a good way to get healthy fats and also its loaded with protein.

Unless you're eating regular 'ol peanut butter....canola (rapeseed! lol), soybean oils etc....those are not healthy fats.

SummerFun2011

Hello!I am confused about the fats in meat? Not all the fat in meat is saturated, so are there some good fats?

Flank steak for example, one of my favorite cuts, lots of flavor and lean as well.

Here's the basic breakdown for about 1/4 lb or a serving.
7 total g's of fat.

3 g's of saturated fat
4g's of unsaturated.

The breakdown of the saturated fat goes something like this.

1.8 g's is palmitic acid
0.8 g's is stearic acid
the balance is a combination of my myristic and lauric acid.

Whithin these individual fatty acids you may recognize a few of them. Stearic acid is what the health establishment attributes to dark chocolate healthfulness. Lauric acid is what most of what makes coconut oil, which is what's called a medium chain triglyceride MCT which is metabolised quite differently than any other fat, which is burned as immediate energy and not stored as body fat. The proposed dark side of saturated fat is the palmitic acid which can increase LDL, and I say can, because when palmitic acid is isolated it will raise LDL (the whole LDL thing is another story) but in the presence of stearic acid it will compensate for that increase in LDL to a large degree, and any natural saturated fat that has palmitic will also have stearic acid in it....what all these saturated fats have in common is that also increase HDL, which is now shown to be a big factor with nationwide HDL levels at an all time low. So much for dissecting nutrition.

The breakdown of the unsaturated fat.

There's about 4 g's of unsaturated fat.

2.5 to 3.o g's of oleic acid
1 g of omega's

Oleic acid is the same fat found in olive oil, nuff said. The breakdown of the omega's are basically 2:1 omega 6 to omega 3, which is considered an optimal ratio. Farm raised, organic, grass fed, higher latitute will effect the fat profile of beef or animals in general and for the better.

Basically there's nothing wrong with eating red meat at all, leaner and naturally raised is better, so eat up, in moderation.

Hope this helps you better understand that saturated fat and red meat is not the evil deluge that mother nature as put upon the earth to kill off the human race.

This was very informative! I hate chicken and egg whites so I thought I was doomed from the talk of people around here :laugh:

SummerFun2011

I buy and eat the fattiest meat available...and retain all fat from cooking the meats and either eat with the meat or reuse it to cook other foods.

It tastes the best I think... I couldn't rinse it :noway:

sjohnny

Have you ever tried deer meat? or Organic beef?

Absolutely. I love it. I just finished the last of my deer a few weeks ago. Hoping to go get some more in the next couple of weeks. That doesn't change my opinion that rinsing the grease out of hamburger meat removes much of the flavor.

servilia

ewww why would anyone rinse their ground beef with water??

Sure bcatt would....lol j/k.

wouldn't be surprised j/k

bcattoes

ewww why would anyone rinse their ground beef with water??

Sure bcatt would....lol j/k.

No need. I buy lean ground beef, when I buy it. Most of the fat on mine is healthy vegetable oil.

hockey7fan

I eat the fat that comes on the pork chops and steaks. I cook it until it's nice and crispy. And I've lost weight. My cholesterol numbers are perfectly fine too.

neanderthin

I eat the fat that comes on the pork chops and steaks. I cook it until it's nice and crispy. And I've lost weight. My cholesterol numbers are perfectly fine too.

I'm bbq'ing a boneless butterflied leg of lamb tomorrow night and I can't wait for that crisp lamb fat...yum.