by “Meat is often demonized because the data we have on its negative health effects comes from studies conducted on populations that, in many cases, do not have overall healthy diets,” says Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University. There is a difference between having meat in the form of a large burger and fries and a small portion of lean beef and a pile of vegetables.
Pros and cons of red meat
It’s true that red meat can be high in saturated fat, which is bad for you. “We know that higher amounts of saturated fat are associated with heart disease, diabetes and other health problems,” says Qi Sun, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
But by eating smaller portions of red meat – meaning beef, pork and lamb – and choosing lean cuts, you can keep your saturated fat intake on the low end. “A serving should be between 2.5 and three ounces,” which has less than four grams of saturated fat, says Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota at the Twin Cities. “The problem is that people often eat the equivalent of two or three servings of steak or hamburger.”
And red meat has some nutritional benefits. “For older adults who may be eating fewer calories overall, it’s important to eat nutrient-dense foods,” says Slavin. In addition, meat contains several nutrients that adults do not get enough of.
One example is protein. It is essential for maintaining muscle mass as we age. Older adults should get 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. For a 150-pound person, that’s 90 grams. Three ounces of sirloin steak has about 17 grams of protein. The same amount of tofu has about nine grams, and half a cup of black beans has about seven grams.
Meat also provides other important nutrients for older adults. A three-ounce serving of lean beef packs 56 percent of the daily value of vitamin B12, which is found naturally only in animal products. It also provides 36 percent of the daily value of zinc and 7 percent of the daily value of iron. “It can be difficult to find such a high quality and quantity of these nutrients in a similar amount of other foods,” says Slavin.
There is no consensus on this issue. Some experts say that if you keep portions to three ounces or less, even a daily dose of meat (21 ounces per week) is fine for most people. Others advise smaller portions but only a few times a week. For example, to help prevent some cancers, the American Institute for Cancer Research recommends no more than 12 to 18 ounces of red meat per week. Limiting your intake to this level may help the environment as red meat production uses up water and land resources and creates greenhouse gases.
The one thing everyone agrees on: While the amount of meat is important, everything else on your plate is even more important. “Eating some meat along with lots of fruit and veggies is unlikely to have adverse health effects,” says Petersen. For example, 13 ounces of red meat per week did not increase or decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease when there was also plenty of plant foods in the diet, according to a 2023 study in the European Heart Journal.
Health conscious steps for meat lovers
Avoid processed meat. Deli meats, hot dogs, bacon and sausages can be very high in sodium and contain many preservatives and other additives. “In general, the more you change fresh foods through processing, the less healthy they can be – and meat is no exception,” says Sun. Harvard researchers found that intake of processed red meat by just half a serving per day (half an ounce of deli meat, half of a hot dog or one slice of bacon) raised the risk of death by 13 percent over the next eight years . .
Have your way, but be aware of the portion size. Do you prefer a meal with a nice sized piece of steak? If so, you can have an eight or 10 ounce steak one day and very little red meat the rest of the week. If you prefer to have it more often, eat smaller portions. “Three ounces isn’t much, but it goes a long way when you mix it with veggies for a stir-fry, with beans for chili, or into a sauce over pasta,” says Slavin.
Choose lean cuts. These include sirloin of beef, top round of beef, sirloin of beef and pork, and leg and loin of lamb. Three ounces of ground beef that is 95 percent lean contains less than two grams of saturated fat.
Alternate red meat with poultry and fish. Most studies show that poultry neither raises nor lowers the risk of heart disease. Fish contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Think about your diet as a whole. The more room meat takes up on your plate, the less room you have for veggies, whole grains, fruit, nuts and legumes. “In some of the studies that have shown that eating a lot of meat is associated with negative health effects, it’s hard to know if that’s attributable to the amount of meat or more to displacement,” says Petersen. “In other words, is the problem that there is an increase in unhealthy food or that you have reduced healthy food?” So make sure there are plenty of plant foods alongside meat and a few meatless meals each week.
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