Meat & Bean Group

Different foods from the meat group are good sources of protein B-vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folacin, and biotin) vitamin E minerals (magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc)

Daily Recommendation You need 2-3 servings of foods from the meat group each day 1 serving of meat amounts to: 3/4 cup cooked dry beans, peas or lentils 3 tablespoons of peanut butter grams of nuts or seeds 2 eggs grams of meat, poultry or fish

Dietary cholesterol and saturated fats are found in animal products meat fish / shellfish poultry egg yolks butter cheese milk and milk products

Limit your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol Choose dry beans, peas, and lentils often. Most of your fats should come from fish, nuts and vegetable oils. Trim fat from meat and take skin off poultry. Bake or grill meats, poultry and fish instead of frying. Limit your intake of high-fat processed meats such as bacon and sausages.

EGGS Eggs are high in protein. A large egg has only 80 calories. One egg yolk contains about 220 mg. of cholesterol. Use egg whites because they contain no cholesterol and little or no fat. It is recommended that dietary cholesterol should be less than 300 mg per day.

Example of how you can balance eggs with other protein foods 2 egg whites (can be substituted for 1 egg yolk)  0 mg. cholesterol 85 grams canned tuna  25 mg. cholesterol 1 tablespoon peanut butter  0 mg. cholesterol 85 grams of beef, pork or chicken  mg. cholesterol 1/2 cup cooked, dry beans  0 mg. cholesterol

Reduce your risk of food borne illnesses Safely handle food at the store Safely transport food to your home Properly store food at home Cook food to a safe temperature

THAW and MARINATE meat, poultry and fish in the REFRIGERATOR

Meat Substitutes cooked dry beans eggs peanut butter nuts and seeds tofu

Why Eat Beans? low in cost easy to cook very low in fat, high in fiber good source of protein taste good add variety to your meals

There are many different kinds of beans black-eyed beans lentils butter beans chickpeas split peas soybeans

Cook With Beans Add beans to soups and stews Add beans to green salads Add beans to your rice dishes

Storing Beans Canned beans – A cool, dry place Dried beans – At room temperature in covered container Cooked dried beans – In refrigerator, covered, 4-5 days Frozen cooked beans – In freezer up to 6 months

Iron is important in your diet Used by red blood cells to carry oxygen in the body Combines with proteins to make haemoglobin Lack of iron may lead to anemia

How Much Iron Do You Need? Milligrams Needed Daily

Iron is found in both animal and plant foods Animal sources clams mussels oysters shrimp liver red meat eggs Plant sources cocoa powder spirulina pumpkin seeds dried fruit (prunes, raisins) spinach lentils, chickpeas artichokes

Iron in animal foods is more easily absorbed by the body than iron from plant foods heme iron is contained in animal foods or meats non-heme iron is contained in plant foods meat factor: Meat, poultry and fish contain a special quality called the meat factor which helps the body absorb more non-heme iron vitamin C foods, such as fruits and vegetables help the body absorb more non-heme iron

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from plant foods Can you think of other combinations?