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The 5 types of meat, their properties and disadvantages

The 5 types of meat, their properties and disadvantages

March 28, 2024

Meat has always been one of the main ingredients used in diets of a good part of human cultures and societies. Its consumption is as old as the origins of our species, and its nutritional characteristics, as well as the methods by which it has been obtained, have had a clear influence on the development of history.

But this food is not something totally homogeneous and without variants, but rather there are different types of meat what is good to know After all, the only thing that these pieces of food have in common is that they are part of the muscular mass of a wide range of animal species, and many of them do not resemble each other at all.


But knowing how to recognize the types of meat is not a matter of pure interest in the theory; It also has very practical utilities. For example, you should know that abusing some of them can lead to important health problems, so to maintain a balanced diet it is necessary to have clear the characteristics that define them.

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Red and white meats: a basic distinction

To begin this classification, it is good to know the two major categories of types of meat. SIt deals with red meat, on the one hand, and white meat on the other .

Red meats

Red meats, in general, are less healthy than white meat, and that is why it is necessary to moderate their consumption more. One of the reasons for this is that it contains a greater amount of purines, substances that once have passed into the body.roast to transform into uric acid , which is harmful if its amount reaches a certain level.


White meats

White meats do not comply with the characteristic that we have seen that describes red meats, and They are also lighter . But that does not mean they are healthy in any context. For example, they often contain a lot of bad fats, although this is not always the case and depends, in part, on the area from which the cut comes: thigh, loin, etc.

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The types of meat

We have already seen how the main categories that describe the types of meat are, but we can still reach a greater level of detail. For this it is necessary to attend to the type of species or family of species from which this food comes.

Below you will find a summary about the types of meat that are usually consumed in Western countries.


1. Beef

This type of meat is one of the most consumed. However, being red meat it is preferable to include it in the maximum menu once every two or three weeks, and no more, because of its concentration of purines and bad fats . Or, better yet, not consume it at all and opt for other sources of protein. However, it is also known to be very popular for its flavor.

2. Bird

This is a type of white meat that is also highly consumed, usually turning to chicken. In addition, in most cases the concentration of fat in this class of animals is low; This makes this food is used by people who are interested in developing their muscles without gaining fat. An exception is the case of duck meat, whose consumption is preferable to moderate.

3. Rabbit

It's another kind of white meat, and one of those that contain less fat (being this, in addition, mostly healthy, to be unsaturated). On the other hand, it is also characterized as a food rich in vitamin B.

3. Pig

As much as red meat is usually associated with large mammals, the truth is that most of the pork is made up of white meat. In addition, the fat it contains is usually relatively low.

Despite what we have seen about this food, you have to be careful when cooking , since many times these elaboration processes go through frying a lot, with which their content in fats and calories rises a lot.

4. Goat and sheep

Unlike rabbit meat, for example, the fat it contains is saturated, so it is unhealthy. However, goat meat is rather low in fat, so that can be consumed occasionally in diets designed to lose weight or not to cover muscle.

5. Fish

Fish is usually high in Omega 3 , a type of very healthy fat that we also find in nuts like nuts. In addition, it is generally low in fat, so it is a good source of protein.

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A balanced diet

To live a healthy life we ​​must bear in mind that our lifestyles lead us to consume, as a rule, more meat than we need. It is true that protein is indispensable, but there are many more sources from which to extract these macronutrients : for example, tofu or seitan. In particular, red meat has become the second dish par excellence. Substituting it for healthier options, instead of yielding to simple habit, can contribute a lot to our well-being.


Is Red Meat Really That Bad For You? (March 2024).


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