Meat, Fish and Alternatives

Our body need a wide range of food in order to function properly. The meat, fish and their alternatives are very important in our diet as they help in tissue and body growth and repair, healthy red blood cells, nerves functioning as well as providing energy because of their protein, iron, vitamin B-complex, phosphorous, calcium, omega-3, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D content.

Foods in this category includes meat, poultry, fish, egg and other non-dairy sources like bean, nuts, tofu, pulses (e.g. ,chickpeas, lentils, split peas), mycoprotein(quorn), seitan, legumes, pulses, nuts etc.

Like the milk and dairy products group it is recommended that we eat moderately from this group. About 2-3 portions (12%) will satisfy our daily requirement. We should try to eat 2portions of fish per week one of which should be oily fish such as fresh tuna, herring, sardine, and mackerel because of their omega-3 content which help in protection against heart disease. Some meats are high in fat most especially saturated fat and eating a lot of this can increase the cholesterol level which increases the risk of heart disease. The type of meat we choose and the cooking method can make a huge difference to this. We should avoid adding extra oil or fat when cooking and use grilling or roasting method rather than frying. Roast on a metal rack over a roasting tin so fat can run off. If you decide to fry, fry with oil that is high in unsaturated fat such as rape seed or sunflower oil. The healthy eating guidelines advise us to choose lean meat. We should also try to remove any visible fat from meat as well as skin from poultry. Generally, the more white we see on raw meat, the more fat it contains. We should also cut down on red meat (pork, beef or lamb) as well as processed meat such as sausage, salami, ham, bacon and pate. Reduce the amount of meat in dishes and add more vegetable, pulses and starchy foods. Eggs should be boiled or poached rather than fried. Eating raw egg can cause food poisoning, try using pasteurised egg when using egg to prepare food that won't be cooked such as home-made mayonnaise, mousse as pasteurisation help in killing the bacteria in egg. Eating a lot of non-dairy sources of protein is good.

Remember Beans and Pulses also count as one of our 5-a-day. 

Thank you for reading.