Down (with) the Grocery Aisle - Part 2: Meat and Seafood

In the last post we talked about HOW to grocery shop without tempting yourself to purchase the things we KNOW are not good for our health and fat loss goals.

http://bestmeatinutah.com

Today we are going to discuss meat and seafood.


Most meat is going to be good for you. The real reason meat gets such a bad rap is because it is supposedly so "fatty." But there are plenty of cuts of beef and swine that you can purchase, which are actually very good for you!


Meat is our primary source of protein (except for you vegan's out there). And because our fat-loss diet is based off of increased protein consumption, you should be eating at least 2-3 servings of meat a day.  


Red meat is also a great source of iron (Attn: pregnant readers!) as well as phosphorus and creatine! So why would we not want this? 

To get the best red meat, avoid the heavily marbled meats and try to choose cuts from the animals muscles of motion. So top and bottom round, flank steak and cube steak. Avoid the "strips," fillets and T-bones. 

A good rule of thumb to follow is the fewer legs the better, according to Mark Verstegen, author of Core Performance. The order of meat preference should be as follows:

1. Salmon, tuna, sardines, crab, shrimp, lobster (just don't fry them or mix them with cream sauces)
2. Eggs
3. Chicken, cornish game hens, water foul (stripped of skin)
4. Lean beef, buffalo, deer
5. Lamb
6. Pork (again, avoid the fatty cuts)

Just because pork is the last on the list does not mean it is not good for you. Pork can be just as healthy, if not more healthy than some cuts of meat. Every meat on this list is a quality meat that you can include in your eating plan. If it is not on the list, you should not eat it.


But again, we can easily make any of these foods can quickly made into a progress-killing, high calorie, fat-bomb of a meal. It's your choice! My recommendation, look into getting a cook book such as John Berardi's Gourmet Nutrition. Each meal in here is a protein based, low-calorie meal prepared specifically for people like you who are shedding fat and building muscle!!


So when you go grocery shopping this weekend, pick up something new and give it a shot. I'm serious about the cook book! Don't try to "wing it" on a good meal. "Winging it" doesn't work with exercise and it sure as HECK doesn't work with nutrition!


Have a healthy, happy and awesome fat-burning weekend!