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Nutrition

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Nutrition

Meat and meat alternatives

This is a large food group that includes meat and foods that are often referred to as meat alternatives: poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, beans, chickpeas, lentils, seeds and nuts!

Aim to eat at least 1 serving of these foods per day.

The benefits of this group are similar to that of dairy products, but the most important difference is that they contain iron. The iron we get from meat is more easily absorbed than the iron we get from the rest of the group. However, the plants provide fibre and healthy carbohydrates, whereas the meat does not.

Take care when choosing what meat you buy, as some options, like sausages and mince, can be high in saturated fat. By the way, New Zealanders most frequently eat beef or veal, followed by mince dishes and chicken. Why not try some fish tonight instead!

Tips  Single serves  Nutrients 
  • Try to make sure only ¼ of your plate contains meat – make the rest veges.
  • Choose lean mean and take skin off chicken.
  • Go easy on the nuts, they add to weight gain.
  • Eat fish at least 2 times a week.
  • Add seeds - sunflower, pumpkin, linseed and sesame - to salads.
  • Bulk out stews and casseroles with haricot beans and chickpeas.
  • Whole nuts are not suitable for children under 5 years because of the risk of choking.
  • Read the 2003 New Zealand Food and Nutrition Guidelines  three-day meal plan to get you into the swing!
  • 1 medium sized steak (120g)
  • 2 slices cooked meat (100g)
  • ½ cup mince or casserole (150g)
  • 2 chicken drumsticks or 1 leg (110g)
  • 1 egg (50g)
  • 1 medium fillet fish (100g)
  • 1/2 cup cooked dried beans, lentils, chickpeas (135g)
  • protein
  • fats: meat, mostly saturated; fish, nuts and seeds, mostly
  • unsaturated
  • carbohydrates: mainly legumes
  • vitamins: vit B12, niacin, thiamine
  • minerals: especially iron, zinc, magnesium, copper,
  • potassium, phosphorus and selenium.

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