The Bottom Line If you're eating for a healthy heart, lean ground turkey—which is lower in saturated fat—is the better pick for you. Of course, you can still enjoy ground beef from time to time, but choosing lean ground turkey more often will help your heart in the long run.
Lamb and beef have similar calories, total fat, protein, vitamin, and mineral content—but lamb (especially grass-fed lamb) is the winner when it comes to omega-3 fat content. Grass-fed lamb also has higher quantities of the healthy fat CLA, which is beneficial for cognitive, cardiovascular, and metabolic health.
This fat is saturated fat and we should try to reduce the amount of saturated fat that we eat. Turkey mince is a healthier alternative to beef mince or lamb mince in dishes such as bolognese, chilli or meatballs.
To be called “lean,” ground beef must have a lean point of 92% lean/8% fat or higher. “Extra lean” ground beef must have a lean point of 96% lean/4% fat or higher.
Healthiest options: turkey and chicken
When it comes to the healthiest meats that pack the biggest nutritional punch, turkey and chicken should be at the top of your (grocery) list, says Schiff. Both are about equal in terms of nutrition, with turkey tending to be leaner than chicken.
The best ground beef to buy for burgers is 80/20 ground chuck – 80% lean meat and 20% fat. Ground chuck is ground from the shoulder and has that ideal lean-to-fat ratio of 80/20 (i.e. not too lean) for a super flavorful, juicy burger. Ground round comes from the back of the cow, near the tail, upper leg, and rump.
Grass-fed beef has less total fat and fewer calories than grain-fed beef. In addition, according to WebMD, grass-fed beef has as much as five times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. There are also lower levels of saturated fat. This can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Processed meat is meat that's been cured, salted, smoked, or otherwise preserved in some way (such as bacon, sausages, hot dogs, ham, salami, and pepperoni). However, this doesn't include fresh burgers or mince – putting meat through a mincer doesn't mean it becomes 'processed' unless it is modified further.
The leanest type of ground beef is called ground sirloin, with a lean point of 90% lean and 10% fat (90/10).
Pork and beef both have a high-calorie value, potassium, protein, and saturated fat content. Beef has a lot of iron when compared to pork meat. Beef has more Vitamin B12 than pork, while pork has more thiamin.
Beef has a few nutritious advantages over chicken, as it contains more iron and zinc. These substances are essential for our immune systems and brain development. However, chicken is much better for your cardiovascular health, because it has less cholesterol and saturated fat than beef.
Examples of processed meats include bacon, jerky, hot dogs, salami, and ham. These types of meat are often high in salt and low in nutrients. They also tend to be calorie-dense compared with lean protein sources, such as poultry, fish, and beans.
80/20: Ground Chuck
It's the highest lean-to-fat ratio in the specialty grinds and tends to be quite tender and juicy. Ground chuck is from the shoulder of the cow. It is rich and tender with plenty of flavor. Often referred to as “lean ground beef,” this is perfect for hamburgers and meatballs.
You may also see other labels, such as "ground chuck," "ground round," and "ground sirloin." These names also refer to the lean-to-fat ratio; ground sirloin is the leanest and ground chuck contains the most fat.
What is Wagyu beef? Wagyu beef originates from Japan and is considered by many the best beef on the planet. With the name meaning “Japanese Cow” (wa = Japanese, gyu = cow), it can be found in four different types of Japanese cattle.
The most nutrients and least amount of saturated fat are found in lean ground beef, which has a protein content of 95% and a fat content of 5%. This type of ground beef is, without a doubt, the healthiest option available.
In the grocery store, the four major varieties of ground beef (a.k.a. “hamburger meat”) are Ground Round, Ground Sirloin, Ground Chuck and Ground Beef.
A healthy balanced diet can include protein from meat, as well as from fish and eggs or non-animal sources such as beans and pulses. Meats such as chicken, pork, lamb and beef are all rich in protein. Red meat provides us with iron, zinc and B vitamins. Meat is one of the main sources of vitamin B12 in the diet.
Wild Alaskan salmon, oysters and sardines are highest in healthy fats; white fish such as cod or flounder tend to be leaner. White meat has slightly less saturated fat than dark. Turkey is fairly comparable to chicken in nutrients, but both its dark and white meat are slightly leaner.
Worst cuts: Ribs, shoulder and mince. A perennial Australian favourite, lamb “tends to be fattier in general than other meats,” says Fox, though because lamb has less marbling than beef, it's easier to trim away excess fat and make cuts healthier before cooking.