Food Groups:
Meat, Poultry, Fish, & Shellfish

Meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish are good sources of protein and other nutrients -- but they also contain saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat is found in the fat that surrounds meat and in the streaks of fat -- called "marbling" -- in meat. Poultry and fish also have some saturated fat, but generally less than meat. Shellfish have little saturated fat.

To lower your blood cholesterol level, choose only the leanest meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish. It is especially important to go for the leanest on the the Step II diet. Refer to the chart below to compare lean and fatty examples of meat, poultry, and fish.

Meat, Poultry, & Fish: A Comparison

Food Type
(3 ounces cooked)		 Saturated Fat (grams) Dietary Cholesterol (milligrams) Total Fat (grams) Calories
Beef, top round (broiled) 3 73 8 185
Beef, whole rib (broiled) 10 72 26 313
Chicken, light meat without skin (roasted) 1 64 4 130
Chicken, light meat with skin (roasted) 3 71 19 189
Ground turkey -- breast meat only 1 35 2 130
Ground turkey -- meat and skin 3 87 11 200
Cod (baked) 1 47 1 89
Mackerel 4 64 15 223

As you can see from the chart,
bulletSome cuts of beef are lower in saturated fats than others.
bulletChicken or ground turkey without skin has less saturated fat than chicken with skin or ground turkey that includes skin.
bulletSome fish, like cod, has less saturated fat and cholesterol then either chicken or meat.
bulletFoods with less fat also have fewer calories.
Refer to Table 1: Meats, Table 2: Poultry, and Table 3: Fish and Shellfish for more comparisons.

Since even the leanest meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish have some saturated fat and cholesterol, the amount you eat is also important. See the "Daily Food Guide" for more information.

The recommended amount of lean meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is:

bulletup to 6 ounces a day for the Step I diet, and
bulletup to 5 ounces a day for the Step II diet.
To give you an idea of what these recommendations look like, a 3-ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards.

Let's take a closer look at meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish.

Meat Follow these tips to make sure you buy low fat meats:
In the supermarket, look for these low fat meat clues:
bullet"lean" or "extra lean" labels
bullet"select" grade of beef, veal, and lamb. "Select" is lower in fat than "choice" and "prime" grades.
Limit high fat processed meats like bacon, bologna, salami, hot dogs, and sausage. They are high in saturated fat and total fat. They are also high in sodium. Look for low fat processed meats, but watch out for their sodium content.
Limit organ meats, like liver, sweetbreads, and kidneys. Organ meats are high in cholesterol even though they are fairly low in fat.
See Table 1: Meats for a listing of more meats.

Choose Lean

Remember that you can still eat red meat, as long as you choose lean cuts.
Choosing lean meat gives you all the benefits of the meat's protein and iron.
Women before menopause especially need the iron in lean meat.

Lean* Cuts of Meat
Beef Veal Pork Lamb
Eye of round
Top round		 Shoulder
Ground veal
Cutlets
Sirloin		 Tenderloin
Sirloin
Top loin		 Leg-shank

*Lean is defined as less than 10 grams of fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat
in 3 cooked ounces, as currently used on food labels.

Poultry In general, chicken and turkey are low in saturated fat, especially when the skin is removed. When shopping for poultry, remember:
You can buy chicken and turkey pieces with the skin already removed.
Or buy the pieces with the skin on and remove it yourself before eating... it's easy to do. Remember, the white meat itself always contains less saturated fat than the dark meat. Removing the skin, particularly from the white meat pieces, can help you get rid of almost all of the saturated fat. Removing the skin from the dark meat thighs and drumsticks also helps, but not as much.
Limit goose and duck. They are high in saturated fat, even with the skin removed.
Try fresh ground turkey or chicken that is made from white meat like the breast. Types that don't say "white meat," "light meat," or "breast" on the label may include the skin and dark meat, so they are higher in fat.
Remember that some chicken and turkey hot dogs are lower in saturated fat and total fat than pork and beef hot dogs. There are also "lean" beef hot dogs that are low in fat and saturated fat. Usually, processed poultry products have more fat and cholesterol than fresh poultry. To be sure, check the nutrition label on deli products such as hot dogs and luncheon meats to find those that are lowest in fat and saturated fat.
See Table 2: Poultry for a more complete listing of chicken and turkey.


Meat, Poultry, & Fish -- TRY IT!
You can make changes a little at a time!
Check off one of these things to try. Do it today!
The next time I buy chicken or turkey, I'll get the skinless kind -- or take the skin off myself.
I'll limit my daily meat servings to the size of two decks of cards.
This week, I'll try a new type of fresh or plain frozen fish.

Fish & Shellfish When shopping for fish and shellfish, remember that:
Most fish is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than meat and poultry.
Shellfish varies in cholesterol content. Some, like squid and shrimp are fairly high in cholesterol; others -- like scallops, mussels, and clams -- are low. Shellfish have little saturated fat and total fat. Even shrimp can be enjoyed occasionally on a diet to lower blood cholesterol provided you stay within the limits for dietary cholesterol.
You may have heard that a type of unsaturated fat called "omega-3 fatty acids" found in fish and shellfish is good for your heart. Health benefits have not been proven. Still, any fresh or frozen fish is a smart food choice because it is low in saturated fat. Avoid fish oil pills because they are high in fat and calories, and they may have long-term side effects.

See Table 3: Fish and Shellfish for a more complete listing.

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