Red Meat and a Healthy Diet Can Go Together

No Comments | Written on March 21, 2012 at 11:00 am, by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

A new study from Harvard’s School of Public Health finds that eating red meat may reduce your life expectancy. But that doesn’t mean that you need to completely ban the stuff from your diet. As with previous red meat studies, most of the negative effects were seen in those eating two or more servings of red meat every single day.

Most people I know—if they eat meat at all—don’t eat anywhere near that much. Meatless meals are becoming increasingly popular as people look for delicious ways to eat healthier, save a little money, and reduce our impact on the environment. In fact, average meat consumption has been declining for the past several years. If you’re eating half a pound of meat a day, you might want to get with the trend. If, on the other hand, you enjoy meat once or twice a week, you’ve probably got nothing to worry about.

How much red meat is safe?

There appear to be no health risks associated with eating up to a pound of red meat per week—that’s a serving every other day or so. Red meat is also an excellent source of protein, iron, B12, and zinc. To maximize the benefits (and minimize the risks), choose lean, well-trimmed cuts of meat like filet, flank steak or London broil (grass-fed, if you can get it). And when cooking meat over a grill or high heat, marinating the meat for 20 to 30 minutes will help minimize the formation of harmful, cancer-causing chemicals. (See more ways to make grilled meats healthier.)