Archive for January, 2009

Mediterraneans Adopting American Diet

At the same time Americans have been embracing the Mediterranean diet the Mediterraneans have been embracing the American diet. Their income is rising and so is their consumption of meat and saturated fats. In the past the Mediterraneans considered meat more of a side dish than an entree.

Since 1962 the calorie intake of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cypress and Malta has increased by 30%. Due to higher calorie intake and lower calorie output three-forths of the Greek population is overweight or obese. More than half the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese popualtion are overweight.

Quote from Tufts “The dietary decline has led Greece, Spain, Italy and Morocco to ask UNESCO to designate the Mediterrian diet as an intangible piece of cultural herritage in need of preservation”.   

A Bite of Beef

In the past health and nutrition experts have recommended cutting back on red meat to protect your heart and this is not bad advice. However, if you choose the cut wisely and use the proper preparation, you can still enjoy an occasional bite of beef.

Choose the leanest cuts - round, tenderloin,sirloin, and flank. Name labeling on the package can be misleading in determining the cut you are buying. If you are in doubt check with your butcher.

Grade of beef - choose select or choice rather than prime. The more white you see in a cut of beef the more saturated fat the beef contains.

Ground Beef - ranges from 5 to 30%, stay within the 5 to 7% range

Cooking - Remove any visible fat before cooking. Broil, baking, roasting and grilling are the leanest cooking methods.

A 3oz. serving of beef is a good source of iron, vitamins B12 and B6, zinc, selenium and great source of protein.

It is recommended that you eat no more than a 3oz. serving once a week.

Source: Weill Cornell Medical College