Let's get Groceries: Meat

Moving from the produce to the meat! Like most groceries normally to do.

A lot of us like the idea of meat. It's packed with protein and can be extremely tasty depending on cooking ability. The unfortunate thought of most buyers is that meat is almost all protein. The problem here is that yes, it does pack the protein punch, but it also loves hiding saturated fats (why do you think tender cuts of steak are so tasty?). Understanding that almost every food has some minuscule amount of protein in it. Sometimes it requires the combination of foods to become a complete protein (contains all amino acid profiles not made by the body naturally). An example of this is peanuts or peanut butter and bread. Gotta love that PB&J. What I am trying to get at is this: if your meal doesn't have a piece of meat with it, it doesn't mean that it has no protein source. On the contrary, a meatless meal can contain a ton of protein if made correctly. But this is not what we are talking about today. Let's talk meat.

First things first, always choose the lean meat options. These options include turkey, chicken, 93/7 beef, pork, and fish. These are leaner cuts because they contain less fat than other options, but you knew that. Occasional treats to yourself should be tender steak cuts (the more expensive guys), hot dogs and bratwurst, pepperoni, and ribs. Most items should label how much fat you're looking at, especially ground beef. Like before, 93/7 means 7% fat content, making it pretty dang lean. With lunch meats you can see on the package what you're dealing with.

Second, try and get at some fish. Two reasons: high quality fats (promote that pumping heart) and high protein content. Salmon, tilapia, shrimp, cod, tuna, halibut, etc. You can't go too wrong with fish. Some are fattier than others, but these fats are of higher quality (this is what everybody says about omega-3s and that kind of goodness). Don't know how to cook fish? It couldn't be simpler. Place the skin side down and grill or broil it for literally 5 min. It will flake away from a fork is put in it and twisted. Still too confused? Spray a pan with oil, slap the fish on the pan and cook on medium high heat, probably 10 minutes max. You can do it, I believe in you.

Finally, if money is a concern, there is nothing wrong with getting the "family sized" bags of frozen meats. It takes a little more planning to thaw the meat out: place the meat on a small plate and cover it with saran wrap and put in the fridge overnight. Thawing under warm water can prove some safety concerns. Microwaves can cook the product while thawing. The fridge is the way to go.

Here's what you should look for:

• Lean ground beef (try turkey or chicken too)
• Pork tenderloin and chicken breast
• Tuna steaks and salmon filets (among other fish)
• Veggie burgers
• Frozen hamburger patties (watch for fat content)
• Frozen chicken breasts

Vegetarian? Don't like meat? Good because next post covers dairy. My favorite section (Wisconsin love)