Tips to help you make wise choices from the meat & beans group

Go lean with protein

Start with a lean choice

• The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.

• The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.

• Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean”. You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.

• Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices.

• Choose lean turkey, roast beef, ham, or low-fat luncheon meats for sandwiches instead of luncheon meats with more fat, such as regular bologna or salami.

Keep it lean

• Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.

• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.

• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.

• Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds fat and calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.

• Prepare dry beans and peas without added fats.

• Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.

Vary your protein choices

• Choose fish more often for lunch or dinner. Look for fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring.

Some ideas are:

• Salmon steak or filet
• Salmon loaf
• Grilled or baked trout
• Choose dry beans or peas as a main dish or part of a meal often. Some choices are:
• Chili with kidney or pinto beans
• Stir- fried tofu
• Split pea, lentil, minestrone, or white bean soups
• Baked beans
• Black bean enchiladas
• Garbanzo or kidney beans on a chef’s salad
• Rice and beans
• Veggie burgers or garden burgers
• Hummus (chickpeas) spread on pita bread

• Choose nuts as a snack, on salads, or in main dishes. Use nuts to replace meat or poultry, not in addition to these items:

• Use pine nuts in pesto sauce for pasta.

• Add slivered almonds to steamed vegetables.

• Add toasted peanuts or cashews to a vegetable stir fry instead of meat.

• Sprinkle a few nuts on top of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt.

• Add walnuts or pecans to a green salad instead of cheese or meat.
What to look for on the Food Label:

• Check the Nutrition Facts label for the saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium content of packaged foods.

• Processed meats such as hams, sausages, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium. Check the ingredient and Nutrition Facts label to help limit sodium intake.

• Fresh chicken, turkey, and pork that have been enhanced with a salt-containing solution also have added sodium. Check the product label for statements such as “self-basting” or “contains up to __% of __.”

• Lower fat versions of many processed meats are available. Look on the Nutrition Facts label to choose products with less fat and saturated fat.

Keep it safe to eat

• Separate raw, cooked and ready-to-eat foods.

• Do not wash or rinse meat or poultry.

• Wash cutting boards, knives, utensils and counter tops in hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to the next one.

• Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices don’t drip onto other foods.

• Cook foods to a safe temperature to kill microorganisms. Use a meat thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked meat and poultry, to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way through.

• Chill (refrigerate) perishable food promptly and defrost foods properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours.

• Plan ahead to defrost foods. Never defrost food on the kitchen counter at room temperature. Thaw food by placing it in the refrigerator, submerging air-tight packaged food in cold tap water, or defrosting on a plate in the microwave.

• Avoid raw or partially cooked eggs or foods containing raw eggs and raw or undercooked meat and poultry.

• Women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children should avoid some types of fish and eat types lower in mercury. See www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html or call 1-888-SAFEFOOD for more information.