My girls reminded me that I taught them this little diddy when they were younger to help them make good food choices.
It’s really important to get enough good-quality protein in our diets.
Though there are vegetable and grain sources of protein, I’m sticking to animal proteins for this particular discussion. Let’s get one thing straight from the beginning: regardless of the type of food being discussed, my across-the-board recommendation is that you choose organic, pastured, grass-fed farm proteins and wild fish proteins.
Beyond that, I believe that we should be eating more fish and fowl proteins than beef, pork and the like. Don’t discount game meats, either. I’ve recently had kangaroo, buffalo, and venison, and they were all delish, and much more likely to be pastured and grass-fed than their moo-ing and oinking counterparts.
Why does more feet mean it’s bad for you?
Red-meat proteins are the most difficult to digest; in fact, much of it ends up putrefying in our colons. That just sounds nasty, doesn’t it? It should, because it is. Additionally, red meat is higher in cholesterol and saturated fats than its white meat counterparts, and fish. The unsaturated, Omega-3 fatty acids found in wild fish actually have health benefits, and their protein structure makes it much easier to fully digest. Just think of how difficult it can be to fully chew a piece of steak, versus how easily a piece of fish breaks down in your mouth. If it’s indigestible, you are probably not receiving nutritional benefits from the food.
So – fish for dinner? Have at it, with little portion control. There’s not much that can beat a grilled piece of fresh fish. It’s both healthy and delicious when cooked with just a little olive or coconut oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
If it’s chicken for dinner, try to have it with equal parts of veggies, like on a caesar salad or in a pot pie. Grilled, broiled, baked, or barbecued, but definitely not fried, please!
On steak night, have it “on the side”, instead of the main attraction. I made a stir fry with some thinly-sliced steak last week. My family also loves having a petit filet-mignon with a perfectly-baked potato and huge salad.
The point is, my dears, not to deprive yourselves, but to know which proteins digest most easily, nourish you the best and have the fewest down-sides, and consume them accordingly.
Bon Appetit!
