Red meat is an important part of many people's diet, because it can reduce hunger better than most other kinds of food. Depending on how it is cooked, it can make a very tasty and satisfying meal. The most common types of red meat that are available today are beef, lamb and veal, and they are all loaded with nutrients that are very beneficial for your health. However, it is known that red meat has high fat content. Here's some information about the nutritional value of red meat.

Nutrition of Beef

85 grams of beef has a calorie count of 240, of which 177 calories are from fat. It contains 19.7 grams of fat, which is 30 percent of the recommended daily intake. This amount of fat is made up of 8 grams of saturated fat, which represents 40 percent daily value, and 9.4 grams of unsaturated fat. Beef also provides 14.5 grams of protein, which is 27 percent daily value, and 57.8 milligrams of sodium, which is 2 percent daily value. Similar to other types of meat, beef does not have any carbohydrate at all. Cholesterol content is high in beef, amounting to 67.2 mg or 22 percent daily value. Some beneficial nutrients that are present in beef include potassium, with 6 percent daily value, calcium with 1 percent daily value and iron with 8 percent daily value.

Nutrition of Lamb

One serving of 100 grams of lamb contains 292 calories, with 187 calories coming from fat. The total fat content is 20.77 grams, which is equal to a daily value of 32 percent. The fat consists of 8.75 grams of saturated fat, or 44 percent daily value, as well as 8.7 grams of monounsaturated fat and 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat. Lamb has 96 milligrams of cholesterol, which represents 32 percent daily value, and 394 milligrams of sodium, which amounts to 16 percent daily value. It also provides a high amount of protein, which is 24.3 grams, as well as 307 milligrams of potassium. The daily values for iron and calcium in lamb are 10 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

Nutrients in Red Meat

There are many essential nutrients in red meat, and they serve a wide variety of functions to make the body healthier. Vitamin A contributes to the development of healthy skin, bones and eyes, and it also makes the immune system stronger. Red meat also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12, which collectively help the body perform many important functions, ranging from the production of energy to maintaining heart health. The iron in red meat can aid in the transportation of oxygen to various parts of the body, and zinc can promote healthy bones, teeth, skin, liver and immune system. Other nutrients that can be found in red meat include vitamins D and K, chromium, copper, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, selenium and n-3 fatty acids.

Conclusion

The nutrition of red meat is greatly dependent on the way the meat is prepared. If you remove the visible fat on red meat, the fat content will be substantially reduced. The part of the animal that the meat is taken from can also affect the nutritional value.