Dear meat, I MISS YOU!

Hi all,

so, I've been on this calorie counting gig for a while now and things have been great, save for one issue: meat has become non-existant in my diet, and I really miss it. Problem is, if its not a fruit, vegetable or doesn't have the calories listed on the package, I don't really like to eat it. While I own a scale, I find it really difficult to determine what cuts of beef are the leanest - this is issue one.

Issue #2 in the red meat regard is that I'm a volume girl, meaning I like really big dinners. I'd much rather have three pounds of vegetables than 3 oz. of steak, but turns out this isn't working for me in the health department. I'm not getting nearly enough iron or protein. How many oz. of red meat do you eat a week? What cuts do you buy?While we're on the meat wagon, how many people are eating pork, and if so, what cuts? I'm single, and a student, so while I would love to buy an entire loin (and could very well eat the entire thing), it's just not something I want to put the effort into.

Finally, if there's anyone living in Canada right now that can help me out, I'd love to hear it.Can someone please decode the weight on the butcher packaging?

I REALLY miss meat guys, help a carnavore out! Thanks, and happy Easter/Passover to those of you who celebrate!

Hey, I'm in Canada!

A little meat goes a long way. Why not have 3 oz of meat with 2 pounds of veggies?

The tenderest cuts of beef are, unfortunately, fatty. Round steak is one of the leanest, but it may be tough if you grill it instead of braise it.

There are 454 grams in a pound, so divide the weight in grams by 454 to get the number of pounds. Then you can multiply by 16 to get ounces.

I hope this helps!

I agree. A little meat does go a long way. Do you like chicken? Chicken is pretty lean too. I dont eat much red meat myself just cause Im not a big fan unless its a greasy cheese burger or tacos or something ground beef like. lol Anyway I eat pork chops. I usually get thin center cut loin chops. I think the thin are 1/4 inch think. I like them cause their about the same about of cals as a piece of chicken but its still something different than eating chicken all the time. Also boneless, skinless chicken thighs are great. They do have a longer cooking time than a chicken breast. Oh a tip for red meat, the less it looks marbled the better it is for you. Im sure you can also google and search for lean cuts of beef.

perdue perfect portions. They are a little on the expensive side but they are sized and individually packaged. One portion is 150 cals. I bought a bunch of them cuz they were on sale. I do enjoy the convenience 

my hubby is a carnivore and i am a vegeterian. you can check out my website www.cooking4carnivores.com for ideas on how to substitue veggies in the pace of meat. hope this helps...

So... I am a volume girl too... and well: I eat 12 ounces of ground red meat at lunch daily & then 10 to 12 ounces of fish at dinner! I also load up on the vegetables (tonight I am having garlic roasted green beans & brussels sprouts along with spinach, sauteed onions & spaghetti squash!!! - Can't wait!)... Just as long as you eat the healthy protein/meat (grass-fed & grass-finished or wild) you don't have to worry about the calories! 

WOAH: this means I eat about 10.5 pounds of MEAT/FISH a week! ha ha ha ha ha!

Thanks for the input all! I guess in the end, I'm looking for cuts. I used to eat a lot of bison, but it's uber expensive where I'm living now in comparison to where I used to buy it. I don't really know the leanest cuts of beef or pork, and I'm kind of thown off by the weight on the butcher packaging at the grocery store. It's by Kg. so when I try and eyeball it for instance, one cut will say kg o.211... etc. I always kind of just panic and put it back. Any suggestions? Things were much easier when I was cooking for more than one and had a real relationships with a butcher, instead of now where I run to the Dominion - on a student budget (new adjustment after quite some time between degrees), and started calorie counting.

Truth is, I love to cook, and I'm open to anything - lamb, pork, chick, beef, anything goes...

any suggestions on lean cooking methods, cuts and weights id really apprecaited!

There are roughly 27g in one ounce.  So Kg 0.211 is 211g or about 8oz.  If the pack is 211g and you only want to eat 100g you can take the steak home, cut it in half, and freeze the spare portion.  Maybe even invest in a simple kitchen scale so that you can be sure about the weight.

It's quite easy to see if beef is lean.  There's usually an outer strip of fat which can be trimmed off with a sharp knife.  The internal fat is often in the form of 'marbling' and that's what give it succulence and flavour.  Leaner cuts are usually in the hind-quarter section.  Things like rump, sirloin and tenderloin/fillet.    In terms of lamb, the leaner cuts will be neck fillet and leg (or gigot) steaks.  In terms of pork you should check out lean loin steaks/chops, fillet and leg steaks.  Grilling and roasting usually produces leaner results.  Canadians may have different names for meat cuts but I'm sure you could find the information somewhere. This diagram, for example. 

The CC database includes great swathes of different cuts of meat.  So if you have in front of you 125g or 4oz of beef steak or lamb leg steak you can easily add that to your food log.  Good luck

0.454 kg is a pound, so 1 kg is approximately 2 pounds.  So, when you look at the label, just double the weight listed and think of that as being in pounds.  (And a quarter of a pound is 4 oz.)  That's good enough for the grocery store.  Then, when you get to CC, you can log the exact weight. 

I just generally look at the cut itself to see how marbled it is and avoid the overly marbled cuts.  You should be able to find nice lean cuts of both beef and pork.  And don't forget about chicken and turkey.  Lamb will likely be through-the-roof expensive.  (I'm guessing you're not in Alberta if you're finding beef expensive; we have cheap cows and expensive produce - at least until the Farmers' Markets reopen next month.  I miss Ontario which was the other way around.)

The calorie counter is your friend :)

plan your meal in advance, use the food log to calculate how much food your gonna eat to keep within your calories, most meat on the fod log can be measured in grams (1000g in a kg) so choose your meat, work out how many grams you can allow for then go to the butcher or store and buy the amount you need.

Have carbs with your meals, i always eat potatoes with meat because they go a LONG way (6-8 baby potatoes less than 250cals :D), finally fill your plate half with any kind of salad/veg/fruit...its easy to get 3-4 cups of salad for 50-100 calories. Home made kebabs also stretch meat a bit further as you can bulk it out.

As for meat type here are some reccomendations:

2 reduced fat pork sausages (150 calories) VERY CHEAP- or try turkey sausages if they are available

1 chicken breast skinless(aprox 150g) 170 calories

Thin cut lamb leg escalopes/steaks (fat removed,ask for lean) 200g - 240calories

Thin cut pork loin steaks/chops 100g 256 calories (cheap cut, high calorie!)

Pork fillet 200g 210cal (more expensive cut but half the calories!)

8oz (226g) LEAN healthy steak (no visible fat other than a few tiny threads) 248cals

8oz (226g) regular rump steak 384 cals

lean ground beef/minced beef less 5% fat 125g - 230cal

When i buy my meat from the supermarket i look for anything marketed as reduced fat,lean or healthy. Usually any form of lean red meat is almost half the calories of the regualr cuts!!

Typically you want a 150 to 200g portion (0.15 to 0.2kg) and it should have 115calories per 100g to be considered lean, you can get cuts of chicken,beef and pork this low if its lean, despite the regular cheaper varieties hutting 256 calories per 100g!

At the butchers, have a look at the meat and get the cut that has the least visible fat and marbelling, most butchers will cut off any fat and advise you if you ask for something lean.

Well, if you eat 3 pounds of vegetables a day, why not include some beans and dark greens to ensure that you are getting enough protien and iron during your meatless stints?

But like the early responders said, a little red meat can go a long way.  Why not try something like a Thai Beef Salad paired with noodles or some great bread?  4 oz of beef tenderloin is more than it sounds like, and it is sooo good.

For beef, I usually prefer braising, grilling, and broiling, depending on the cut (braise tough cuts, grill/broil tender cuts).  They all three add great flavor to the meat without much (if any) extra fat.

For chicken, grilling, baking, sauteeing are my favorites.  With a good non stick pan you can tackle pretty much everything.

If you like fish, microwaving, poaching, grilling, baking are all great ways to cook without adding extra fat.

Hmmm I have to say I don't eat much red meat. I do eat a ton of white meat though -- for example, today, I ate about a pound of chicken breasts. Yikes, I know. But I buy the sliced chikcen breasts from the deli (its like 130 cals per 100g) and they just taste soo good I eat it all at once :\ wayy too much protein.

As for lean red meat - what about grilling sirloin steaks? I think they're pretty lean... or pork tenderloin.

Jamie, if you eat the whole lb at once, you may want to stop buying it altogether.. that's a ridiculous amount of sodium..