One end says that meat in terrible for you, and the other end says that you need it to stay healthy.....?

Question

Which one is it!?

Answer 1

you can be healthy with or without meat. if you choose to eat meat, you must eat lean cut, grilled, baked, or broiled meats (less red meat more fish, turkey, and chicken) in order to stay healthy. if you choose not to eat meat, you can eat plenty of soy products, vegetables rich in proteins (spinach, black beans, red beans, lama beans, peas, baked potatoes, anything super green and leafy), avacadoes, any kind of nuts, any whole wheat products (rice, pasta, breads, etc.), cheese, eggs, fruits, tofu, etc. for protein intake.

Answer 2

Meat is an important part of a balanced diet. While you can get along without it, it can be difficult to get all the nutrition you need. Meat (especially red meat) is an important source of B vitamins, and it also contains complete proteins, something you won't get in a vegetarian diet (you have to combine different plants in your meals so you can get the same protein quality as you'd get from meat). Nuts (included in the meats group by the USDA) and fish also contain oils and fatty acids (most notably the Omega 3 fatty acid) which are essential for good health. Nuts also contain a boatload of Vitamin E, which is good for skin and hair health.

The problem with meat is that it tends to be high in fat, usually because the fattier the meat, the better it tastes. What you want to do is find leaner cuts of meat, or focus on fish as your meat source. You should also examine your cooking methods. Fried foods especially are extremely high in fat and are not worth the nutrient that they give you. Grilled or smoked meat often tastes just as good, if not better (though I could be biased, since I'm a Texan), and is a far more healthy cooking alternative.

Now, this is not to say that you shouldn't eat high fat meats at all. If you're maintaining a healthy weight, you might choose to treat yourself to, say, a steak once or twice a month. Moderation is the key, but you don't wanna cut it out entirely. After all, the point of eating food is for the pleasure of dining.

Answer 3

eating healthy is all about balance. in regards to meat being terrible that is simply inaccurate. processed carbohydrates are 10x worst then even a cut of meat loaded with fats. 50% of the fats in red meat are unsaturated.