Red Meat With Lower Cholesterol Impact

Certain cuts of red meat are lower in cholesterol-raising saturated fat than you may think and can be incorporated into a low-cholesterol diet. These include 95% lean ground beef, sirloin steak, pork tenderloin, lamb chops, and veal.

Fattier cuts of meat, which are high in saturated fat, are what you should avoid. Standard ground beef, prime rib, and processed meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and salami all fall into this category.

Saturated fat is the focus because decades of studies confirm dietary cholesterol does not impact your blood cholesterol levels the way it was once thought to. Saturated fat, on the other hand, raises LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels more than anything else in your diet.

This article discusses how to include red meat in a low-cholesterol diet. It explains the cuts of meat low in cholesterol-raising saturated fats. It also offers additional tips for selecting and preparing red meat while watching your cholesterol levels.

Red Meat in Low-Cholesterol Meal Plans

The key to incorporating red meat into your diet when you are working to keep your cholesterol low is being selective about the meat you choose to eat.

That means picking healthier, leaner types of meat that are lower in saturated fat and paying attention to portion sizes.

These red meat options can fit into your low-cholesterol diet and are great options to start with when planning your meals.

Serving Sizes and Daily Intake

The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to no more than 6% of your total calories. For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, that comes to no more than 120 calories—about 13 grams—of saturated fat a day.

In addition, it is generally recommended to limit red meat to three servings a week. Research shows diets high in red meat can pose other health consequences, including an increased risk of cancer.

Keep in mind a standard serving size is 4 ounces raw, which cooks down to 3 ounces. This is about the size of a deck of cards.

Preparation and Cooking Tips

In addition to selecting lean cuts of red meat and watching your portion sizes, how you prepare the meat also makes a difference.

Use healthy cooking methods, such as baking, broiling, grilling, steaming, stewing, or roasting. Avoid deep-fried and pan-fried meats, which increase the saturated fat content.

When preparing any red meat, try to avoid or limit adding marinades or sauces that may add extra fat or salt, Instead, opt for lemon or lime juice, herbs, or spices to add flavor.

Hamburger

Swapping out standard 80% lean beef for 95% lean beef cuts the saturated fat in your hamburger by 70%. If you can’t find that, opt for the highest percentage of lean beef available. The higher the percentage, the lower the amount of saturated fat.

Grams (g) of saturated fat in a standard serving of ground beef are as follows:

• 80% lean beef: 8.5 g
• 85% lean beef: 5 g
• 90% lean beef: 4.4 g
• 93% lean beef: 3 g
• 95% lean beef: 2.5 g

You can also reduce the total fat and saturated fat by pouring off liquified fat after browning meat or pressing the fat out of a burger after cooking.

Steak

If you are craving a steak, avoid high-fat steak cuts like rib-eye, filet mignon, and porterhouse. Instead, choose leaner cuts, which are lower in saturated fat. Sirloin, bottom round, and top round are good options.

The saturated fat content in different cuts of steak is as follows:

• Top-round steak: 1.5 g   
• Tip side steak: 2 g 
• Bottom round steak: 2.5 g
  
• Top sirloin: 3.5 g
• Skirt steak: 4 g
  
• T-bone: 4 g
• Filet mignon: 6 g 
• Porterhouse: 6 g
• Rib-eye: 8 g

Keep in mind these figures are for a 4-ounce serving (pre-cooking weight). Restaurant steaks are typically 6 ounces or more.

Other Cuts of Beef

When selecting beef at the grocery store, the packaging label can give you clues about its fat content. Terms “Choice” and “Select” represent leaner options. Avoid meats labeled “Prime,” which typically signifies fattier cuts.

You can also look at the cut of beef to check for visible fat. Fat around the outside can be trimmed prior to cooking. Marbling—white lines of fat interspersed with lean meat—indicates more cholesterol-raising fat.

Leaner cuts include top or bottom round, tip sides, and beef loins. If you’re not sure what to choose from the options available, ask the butcher.

Pork

Pork can be included in a low-cholesterol diet, provided you choose leaner cuts. Tenderloin, loin, and rounds are the better options. The saturated fat content per serving of lean cuts of pork is as follows:

• Pork tenderloin: Less than 1 g
• Pork boneless top loin chop: 1.5 g
• Pork boneless top loin roast: 3 g
• Pork bone-in rib chop: 3 g 
• Pork bone-in center loin chop: 3.5 g
• Pork bone-in sirloin roast: 3.5 g

Avoid fatty pork cuts, like pork belly and ribs, as well as processed pork products, which tend to be high in both saturated fat and salt. The saturated fat content per serving in higher-fat pork products is as follows:

• Spare ribs: 4.5 g
• Ham: 5.5 g
• Pork belly: 7 g 
• Italian sausage: 8.5 g (per 3-ounce link) 

Breakfast Meat

When it comes to pork breakfast meats, Canadian bacon—which is technically ham—is your best option. The saturated fat content per serving of breakfast meat is as follows:

• Canadian bacon: less than 1 g
• Breakfast sausage: 7.5 g
• Taylor ham/pork roll: 10 g
• Bacon: 14 g

Lamb and Veal

Lamb and veal can be lower-fat red meat options, depending on the cut. Lean lamb chops or veal chops are relatively low in saturated fat. These tender meats can be grilled, roasted, or boiled and eaten in various ways.

When ground, however, it’s a different story. Ground lamb has more saturated fat than ground beef. Ground veal, on the other hand, is somewhere between 85% and 90% lean beef.

The saturated fat content per serving of pork and veal products is as follows:

• Veal loin chop, all visible fat trimmed: 1.5 g
• Veal shoulder blade chop: 3 g
• Lamb chop, all visible fat trimmed: 3 g
• Ground veal: 5.5 g 
• Ground lamb (85% lean): 11 g
  

Summary

Red meat can be included in a low-cholesterol diet by making smarter choices and watching portion sizes.

Select leaner cuts of meat, which are lower in cholesterol-raising saturated fats. Healthier cuts of red meat include loins, rounds, and chops. Beef sirloin, pork tenderloin, lamb chops, and veal are typically good options.

Look for Choice and Select cuts of beef, but avoid Prime cuts, which are fattier. Avoid or minimize high-fat and processed meats, like bacon, sausage, and cold cuts

Aim to keep your total saturated fat content to less than 13 g a day for a 2,000-calorie diet.