2025 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-13 07:38
Meat has been one of the main human foods for centuries. It was once believed that the fatter it is, the better. After all, you can get enough of high-calorie meat much faster. And no one really thought about the benefits of products in those harsh times.
It's good to be he althy
Today, the fashion for heavy food has passed. All progressive humanity strives to look young, lead an active lifestyle, and therefore, monitor he alth. Proper nutrition is the key to good he alth, and in addition, it helps to maintain physical fitness.
Of course, new trends have also touched such an indispensable product in the diet as meat. Lenten and prepared in the right way, it will only bring he alth benefits. How to choose the right meat for a he althy diet? Let's figure it out.
Lent from the word "fast"?
Of course, anyone who is at least a little familiar with religion knows that the word "lenten" implies a special type of food that can be consumed during church fasts. However, most Christian fasts involve a complete rejection of meat. And only during non-strict periods are low-fat varieties allowed. They began to call them lean. This is how the name came about.
What is lean meat?
Generally speaking, all lean varieties fall into this category. That is, any meat without layers of fat is considered lean. These varieties contain a large amount of animal protein, which is well absorbed by the body. This protein also helps to get rid of accumulated fat reserves. And for athletes, lean meat is necessary, because it helps to gain muscle mass. Of course, with systematic proper nutrition and physical activity.
The most common lean meats
First place is occupied by chicken meat. More precisely, the breast part, the so-called fillet. Legs and especially thighs cannot be called lean.
The next position is a rabbit. I must say that the second place went to him not because he was less useful, but rather because of the high price. Yes, and not in every supermarket you can buy rabbit meat, whether it's chicken …
Predictably, the bronze goes to the turkey. Here and benefit, and affordable price, and availability. In addition to the breast, the muscles of the wing, legs, and back can be attributed to lean meat.
You should not ignore young veal, lamb, horse meat. Even young piglets are often quite dietary. Out of competition, of course, quail. True, earlier this bird was more often related to game, and not domestic.
Coming from the forest
Among the game, too, there are many lean varieties. Moreover, game, as a rule, contains even more protein, trace elements, vitamins than domestic animal meat. And the taste of meatwild animals and birds are more eventful. Roe deer meat is considered a real delicacy. Even a wild boar, unlike its domesticated relative, can be butchered and cooked in such a way as to fully fit into the concept of a he althy diet. Very little fat is found in the tenderloin, shoulder blade, and back of this animal. However, it is worth remembering that game has a rather specific taste. Therefore, you need to know how to cook it.
Heat treatment methods
It's not enough to get lean meat. Not everyone knows how to cook it either. There is an opinion that the best way is boiling. In fact, everything is a little more complicated. And although this type of processing belongs to the diet, there are more optimal ones.
First of all, we are talking about steaming. This allows you to get a wonderful result even without a large portion of spices and s alt. Lean meat, steamed, retains all the aromas and tastes, and it also turns out to be very juicy. As for the content of nutrients, they are all perfectly preserved after contact with steam.
Praise nutritionists and baking on coals or in foil. By the way, in some countries, pediatricians recommend this treatment for the children's menu.
Lean meat: recipes and cooking tips
If you decide to learn how to cook your own he althy meat dishes, start with the simplest. Do not immediately apply a complex recipe and intricate techniques. So, steamed veal with vegetables.
A piece of lean veal (400 g) cut into cubes. Put into a bowl. Add chopped vegetables (1 each): carrots, onions, zucchini, bell peppers. You can add broccoli and cauliflower, asparagus beans, green peas. Basically, whatever you like. Both fresh and frozen mixtures will do. The cooking time depends on the steamer model. The main thing is to choose the “vegetables” mode, not “meat”, as they take longer to cook. Sometimes such a dish does not even require s alt. In any case, when cooking lean meat with vegetables in a double boiler, s alt should not be added in advance.
Cooking lean game. We fill the prepared pheasant carcass with pieces of potatoes and other vegetables fried until half cooked (to taste), lightly rub with s alt, wrap in foil or put in a baking sleeve. You can additionally impose onion rings, this will give lean meat juiciness. We send it to the preheated oven for 1.5 hours. 10 minutes before the end, cut the foil or bag so that the crust is browned.