Nutrition Tip - Grocery Store Series: Meat & Seafood

Grocery Series: Meat and Seafood Department

I think one of the most confusing areas of the grocery store for consumers is the meat and seafood department. There are many different options of types, cuts, and brands of meats and proteins. It can be very difficult to decide whether you should get organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, farm-raised, wild, etc. Follow the tips below to help you find the best choice for your health:

• Fresh meats and seafood are always the best way to go. Fresh-frozen fish and chicken is also a healthy, convenient choice as long as there are no additional seasonings, marinades, or sauces on the product.
• When choosing processed meats (deli meats, bacon, sausage, etc.), there are a few things to look out for:
  • Sodium – processed meats are loaded with sodium. You just can’t avoid that. But you can choose “lower sodium” products whenever possible.
  • Preservatives, nitrites, and nitrates – we all know that fresh meat doesn’t stay fresh for long. Processed meats are different because they are loaded with salt and preservatives, specifically nitrites and nitrates. Try to choose processed meats without these preservatives, they do exist! Read your labels and ingredient lists.
  • Ingredients – the shorter the list of ingredients, the better. Avoid products that have a long list of ingredients that you cannot pronounce and sound like another language. If it’s just the meat and some spices, that’s a good choice!
  • Saturated Fat – the majority of your processed meats will be loaded with saturated fat. Make sure you read the nutrition facts label and check for high amounts of saturated fat. Choosing processed meats made with chicken and turkey instead of pork and beef are a leaner option.
• Ground Beef, Turkey, and Chicken are best bought at a butcher that can grind it for you so you know what’s in it. Often times, we have no idea what’s in these ground meat products…it could be a lot of things…things that you don’t really want to know about. I think that’s enough said there. Also, remember to choose a lean cut of meat: 90% lean or higher.
• Canned Meats – choose very low or low sodium products whenever you can. Also, look for meats packed in water instead of oil for less calories
• Mercury and Seafood – if you consume a high amount of predatory fish, like shark and swordfish be careful of mercury. Do your research and make sure your favorite seafood isn’t on the high mercury list.
• Antibiotic and hormone-free meats are the best choice to make when buying chicken and beef. Be sure you read your labels.
• Choose organic meats whenever possible because there you are less likely to run into antibiotics and added hormones.