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If you have ever listened to a commercial about dieting and healthy eating, one of the first things you will hear is to restrict or eliminate red meat from your diet. That means we should never again enjoy a thick, juicy steak or pot roast. How important is it to eliminate red meat from the diet? Should be give up beef just to be healthier?

Beef vs. Poultry

Many of us grew up eating beef, chicken, fish, turkey, and pork without feeling any ill effects from it. Today doctors and nutritionists recommend eating very little red meat and concentrating on poultry and fish. Is there really a difference? After all, we have eaten this way for many years, and now in the last few decades doctors tell us red meat is unhealthy. The simple fact is that we did not know until about the last two decades that red meat contained higher levels of cholesterol than white meat and fish. That doesn't mean, however, that you cannot eat any beef at all. What it means is that you should restrict the amount of beef you do eat while most of your diet consists of veal, poultry, and fish.

Making Healthy Substitutions

Because of the emphasis on eating more poultry and fish, many stores are now carrying a great many products that are healthier such as ground turkey and chicken, turkey and chick hot dogs, turkey sausage, turkey bacon, and turkey ham just to name a few. Although you may think you will not like the taste of meats that are not beef or pork products, by adding additional flavourings, you will not notice the difference. For example, making chilli or meatloaf with ground turkey is not going to make a difference because of the other ingredients you include. That doesn't mean you won't taste the difference, but the other ingredients will enhance the flavour of the meat so that you will be more willing to give ground turkey a try.

What about Pork-"the other white meat"

Although you have heard those commercials about pork being "the other white meat," it certainly does not fall into the same category as poultry. One needs only to look at a piece of pork to know there is a higher fat content than most beef. Ham is fairly lean in most cases, but you have to choose carefully with pork roast and pork chops. This is another great choice for the George Forman; however, you still want to restrict your consumption of pork to no more than once or twice a week.

Veal-Red Meat or White Meat?

Although most people tend to think of veal as red meat, and realistically it is, but veal does not fall into the same category as being. Veal, as you probably know, if the meat from a calf, and as such, it contains less fat content than mature beef. This is good news for beef lovers who can substitute beef instead of turkey or chicken in hamburger, steak, and other meats. Although veal does not taste the same as beef, it has its own distinct and excellent taste.

Most diets that restrict red meat do not include veal on their list of limited meats as they due pork, lamb, beef, and organ meats. The drawback to veal is that it is more costly than beef, but one cannot put a price tag on one's health. Learning to substitute veal for beef will help you keep your cholesterol down and help you lose excess body mass at the same time.