Is Red Meat Really That Bad for You?

It seems like there's always some new warning about something we need to avoid eating. A recent study continues that trend, with the results showing an increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer among those who ate more red meat. I'm not sure if that's such a big surprise, since we've been told before that there are heart risks related to eating red meat.

To me, though, there were a few interesting items of note from this study. First, in spite of all the money that's been spent on "The Other White Meat" advertising campaign, pork is still considered red meat, and that means switching from beef to pork doesn't necessarily reduce your risk. Second, it wasn't only red meat that caused health problems in study participants: those who consumed processed meat products like cold cuts and hot dogs (including reduced-fat hot dogs) saw an increased risk of mortality, although the risk was slightly less than those eating more red meat. Third, I was surprised by the amount of red meat considered to be a risk: about 1/4 pound (or 4 ounces) daily.

I'm generally not a big eater of red meat, but that doesn't mean I'm off the hook completely. For one thing, I do eat some, and the message from this study is for me to pay attention to that "some" and make sure I'm within healthy limits. I'll also confess to enjoying the occasional hot dog, and I had convinced myself that by buying the reduced-fat version, I was okay. I don't know that I need to swear off hot dogs completely, but I do need to pay attention to how many I eat, and how often I partake.

I also believe there's a helpful message here about portion control. What I know about nutrition is that a serving of meat (or protein) should be about 3 ounces. That's not too far off the 4 ounce red meat threshold in the study. But honestly, how many of us really limit our meat portions to a mere 3 ounces? (For reference, that's about the size of a deck of cards, or the palm of your hand.) A lot has been said and written about increasing portion sizes, but consider the size of the last steak you ate and ask yourself: was it anywhere close to 3 ounces? I'm not one to advocate swearing off red meat completely, or at least not for everyone. Each person needs to make his or her own choices about what and how much to eat. And there are some nutritional benefits to red meat, including B12 and iron. But on the other hand, there certainly are benefits to using more plant-based sources of proteins (like beans). Swapping out beans or other legumes for meat (even white meat like chicken breasts) can improve your health as well as your budget, since you'll most likely save money by buying less meat.

For me, I don't know that there are easy answers. I definitely need to pay more attention to portion size, both in terms of red meat and everything else I eat. I also could stand to look for ways to cut back on the amount of animal protein I eat overall, since I know it would help both my diet and my wallet. I think that ultimately it comes down to balance and moderation. I don't know that it's possible to eat perfectly all the time, but if I eat pretty well most of the time, I think I'll be on the right track.