When it comes to losing weight, it's important to monitor the amount of calories you eat, but so is making sure you get a proper balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. And without a doubt, meat is a stellar source of protein. This macronutrient is important when looking to lose fat because it helps maintain lean muscle mass, according to a March 2020 study in The Journal of Nutrition. Your muscle tissue is more metabolically active than your fat stores, so maintaining lean muscle mass while losing weight will help keep your resting metabolic rate high (also known as burning more calories).
Also, compared to the other two macros (fat and carbohydrates), protein is the most satisfying , according to an April 2015 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article.
There are different ways to meet your protein needs, you don't have to rely on meat. Healthy plant protein sources include tofu, tempeh, beans, nuts, seeds, and even whole grains. That being said, if you like meat, some options are better for weight loss than others.
5 meats you should eat when trying to lose weight
Lean beef
Red meat contains saturated fat, but there are leaner cuts that you can enjoy in moderation, including sirloin and lean ground beef. For example, an 84-gram cooked serving of 95 percent lean ground beef has 150 calories and 23 grams of protein.
What does "in moderation" mean? For cancer prevention, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends limiting yourself to three servings a week (reminder: one serving equals approximately 84 grams cooked). On average, we currently eat a little more of this per day.
Skinless chicken
Skinless chicken breast can be one of the leanest sources of protein. The key is to choose white meats (over dark ones), which you can find on the breast, thighs and wings.
An 84-gram serving of cooked chicken breast has 135 calories and 28 grams of protein. It also has large amounts of phosphorus, selenium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and choline.
Remember to remove the skin before eating and avoid dark meat, which you will find on the thigh.
Mollusks
Shellfish and fish can be a nutrient-dense source of protein, but you need to be wary of healthier options that are low in mercury and are sustainable for our planet.
Clams, mussels, and oysters are great options because they are generally low in mercury. The unique thing about mollusks is that they are especially good for our waters because they help keep them clean by filtering out heavy metals and other biological matter. When farmed, they do not require feed and the harvesting process has minimal pressure on the environment.
An 84-gram serving of mussels provides 146 calories and 20 grams of protein.
Lean pork
Like most meats, there are healthier cuts of pork like roast pork chops, tenderloin and sirloin and there are others that are much more fatty, like bacon and pork belly. For example, an 84-gram serving of pork tenderloin has 122 calories and 22 grams of protein.
When buying leaner cuts, look for "tenderloin" or "chop" in the name. When cooking pork, cut off the visible fat and always reach an internal temperature of 62ºC when cooking.
White turkey meat
Like chicken, white turkey meat is another source of lean poultry. You'll find white meat on the breast and wing, while dark meat is found on the leg.
White meat has fewer calories, but when you eat an 84-gram serving, the differences are negligible. The amount of protein and total fat are the differentiating factors.
For example, roast turkey breast has 125 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, and 25 grams of protein, while dark roast turkey provides 130 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat and 13 grams of protein.
3 types of meat to limit or avoid
Fried meats
Even if you eat healthier meats like chicken, covering them with breading and frying them negates any health benefits you may be looking for. For starters, it dramatically increases the calorie and fat content. An example: An 84-gram serving of fried chicken has 250 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 15 grams of protein, compared to the same serving of chicken breast, which has 135 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 28 grams of protein. .
Processed red meats
Bacon, hot dogs, beef jerky, salami, and sausage are all prime examples of processed red meat. They are higher in calories, saturated fat, and sodium, compared to leaner, less processed cuts of red meat, making them bad for our hearts.
An 84-gram lean hamburger has 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, and 22 grams of protein, while the same serving of bacon has 400 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 10 grams of protein.
Science shows that reducing your consumption of processed meat, even by just 2 percent of total calories, and replacing it with plant-based protein is linked to a 32 percent lower risk of death.
High-mercury fish
Although fish and shellfish can be excellent sources of protein and important vitamins and minerals, they can also be high in mercury. To limit or reduce your exposure, avoid panga, swordfish, king mackerel, yellowfin tuna, and bigeye tuna.
You also need to be careful when it comes to canned tuna. Light tuna are safer options.
