Quanta carne dovremmo mangiare?

In recent years, evidenze has emerged that higher intakes of carne rossa - such as beef, lamb, pork and veal - can increase our risk of cancro intestinale. Processed meats such as bacon, sausages, cured meats, pâté and corned beef have been linked to cancro too. However, it's important to remember that it is all about quality and quantity.

"The UK raccomandazioni are that if you consume more than 90 g of red or processed meat per day, to reduce this to below 7 0g," says Reema Patel, registered dietitian at Dietitian Fit. "Try to have some meat-free days in the week to reduce overall consumption. Opt for other proteine sources such as fish, shellfish, eggs and vegetarian proteins such as lentils, beans and soya-based products to mix things up in the week."

Red meat can be nutritious as it is a great source of protein and many vitamine e minerali, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. "Meat is one of the main sources of vitamin B12 in the diet. However, red meat can be high in saturated fats and sale," dice Patel.

"Too many saturated fats can increase our non-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) colesterolo. This is seen as the 'bad cholesterol' and a high salt intake is a risk factor for developing ipertensione. Both of these are risk factors for developing malattie cardiache."

Saying that, Patel adds, it is more about moderation and reducing overall consumption in our estreme as a whole, instead of labelling red meat as bad. "Adding in varied sources of protein in the week, aside from just red meat, is more beneficial in the long term. Not just for our health but also the ambiente," dice.

An increasing number of people are becoming vegetarian and vegana for ethical, ambientali and health reasons. However, whether being vegetale is healthier can depend on the overall quality of your diet and the variety of nutrients you are consuming, Patel explains.

"Trying to go for lean meat can help reduce grassi saturi levels, as can going for fewer processed meats, such as bacon, sausages, and cured meats," she says. "Leaner meats without the skin, such as chicken or turkey, are opzioni più salutari overall to include more regularly if you are a meat eater. Naturally, vegetarian and vegan diets may be lower in saturated fats compared to diets higher in animal proteins."

Vitamine e minerali

However, it's important for everyone to get enough vitamins and minerals in their diets. "If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, ensure that you are including foods that provide a good source of vitamin B12, ferro, zinc, calcio, iodine and omega 3," dice Patel.

"Plant-based dairy alternatives should be fortified with some of these key nutrients. Keeping your diet varied with a large variety of fruits and vegetables, plant-based proteins and whole grains can help with having a dieta più sana overall. Working on lowering consumption of refined carboidrati and products with added zuccheri is important for health too."

Integrare la tua dieta potrebbe essere necessario in una dieta vegana, poiché alcuni alimenti vegani potrebbero non fornire una quantità adeguata di nutrienti specifici. "Se non sei sicuro, contatta un dietista registrato per ricevere indicazioni sull'analisi della tua dieta complessiva e ottenere raccomandazioni, oppure consulta il tuo medico di base prima di integrare," dice Patel.

If you think you are eating too much carne or want to cut down, there are plenty of ways to create delicious, nutritious vegetable-based meals.

Dedica giorni senza carne

Going vegetarian or vegana can be a big commitment and even if that is your end goal, cutting out meat gradually can be a good way to ease yourself into a liquida change. Allocating a couple of days a week for plant-based meals can be a good start.

If you only order meat-based meals when you're eating out at a ristorante or getting a takeaway, eating meat can become a treat rather than an everyday ingredient.

Sostituisci la carne con alternative vegetali

Across the UK, people are spending more money on vegan products, and plant-based diets are trending online. Supermarkets now offer lots of options for meat-free alternatives, such as vegan sausages or burgers. Replacing your usual meats with these, even just for a couple of days a week, can help reduce your meat intake.

It's also helpful to replace minced meat with pulses like lentils, chickpeas and other beans, which are nutritious, filling and high in fibra. È facile sostituire il macinato di manzo con le lenticchie per creare un delizioso ragù alla Bolognese.

Pesa la tua carne

Può essere difficile sapere quale sia la dimensione di una porzione di carne, quindi può essere utile pesare la carne prima di aggiungerla al piatto.

According to the Associazione Dietetica Britannica (BDA), una porzione di carne cotta come manzo, maiale, agnello, macinato, pollo o tacchino è circa della dimensione di un mazzo di carte, che è circa 90 g. Per il pesce bianco cotto, dovrebbe essere 140 g o della dimensione del palmo della tua mano.

Prepara pasti a base di verdure

Molti di noi creano pasti intorno alla carne. Tuttavia, è possibile costruire pasti sani e soddisfacenti intorno a verdure e legumi, come curry di ceci e cavolfiore, cene arrosto con salsicce vegetariane o un Wellington ai funghi.