
by Paul Freegale
Eating too much meat isn't good for us. We all know if we eat
too much it will make us feel run down and tired. Not only that,
but there are health risks involved too. A diet in high fatty
meats can lead to heart disease and cancer. No one wants that.
Some people choose not to eat meat for religious reasons, they
believe that it is wrong to kill an animal, or they may want a
healthier diet. It is popular with the young crowd. I have never
understood it really. Though I suspect that after you get older
and bust your ass off for a living, you want to reward yourself
with some nice juicy meat. This might come as a shocker, but
anyone who has read any of my articles knows that I don't hold
back. I don't think the vegetarian diet is more healthy. I
really don't.
The problem is, most people that I know who don't eat meat load
up on other things. They eat a lot of dairy or eggs. I think
they do this because all humans crave animal products. We crave
the fat and the flavor. Most of the vegetarians I have known
have really done a number on themselves with the amount of fat
they eat. They lie to themselves because they think since they
eat no meat, that their diet is more healthy. They think they
can eat what ever they want, as long as it isn't meat.
While I don't think that meat is the devil that some make it out
to be, too much isn't good for you. Also, too much of the wrong
kind of meat isn't good for you as well. What do you do? You
love meat, but not sure what to eat? You should try cutting out
a good percent of the red meat that you eat. This will mean that
you can't eat burgers and fries every other day, but you
shouldn't be doing that anyway. There is nothing wrong with
eating some red meat from time to time as long as you aren't
over doing it.
I tend to eat poultry every day. I love meat, I can't do without
it. So, I stick to chicken and turkey when ever I can. I love
these two meats anyway, so its not that hard. You need to find
ways that you can eat these and enjoy them. I know that some
people cook poultry to the point that they are so dry you almost
choke on them. There is no need to do that. I know that it is
important that you cook them well done so you don't get sick.
There is a difference between well done and over done.
You should invest in a meat thermometer. This way you can take
the guess work out of knowing if your meat is done or not.
Tempature is the important thing when cooking meat. You want it
to be an internal temp that is enough to cook it all the way
through. If it comes up to temp, that means it is done. Cooking
it more won't make the meat any more safe.
Roasting, grilling, baking is a great way to cook poultry. You
don't want to add fat to it because you don't know how to cook
it properly. You don't want to deep fry it to make it more
juicy. That makes the whole effort of eating the lean meat
worthless.
Here are some ideas that you can use.
Bake the chicken with some spices and herbs on the outside. This
is a great way to make sure it is juicy and has a lot of flavor.
Grill chicken breasts. Throw them on the grill and let them cook
away. Chicken breasts are great for grilling. I think that is
the only thing they are good for really. If you do much of
anything else with them, they will become dry and rubbery.
Thighs are great when it comes to being juicy. These tend to
have a little more fat on them, but they are great. I love
chicken thighs. There is so much you can do with them. Chicken
wings are great in stir fries or when baked. Don't make the
mistake of deep frying these great things. Bake them on a cookie
sheet and load them up with hot sauce. You will have a great
meal that will rival their deep fried cousins.
Depending on what part of the world you live in, fish can be
great too. If you are like me and live far inland, getting fresh
fish can be a problem. Sometimes if you live in a major city
they will fly fresh fish in for the supermarkets to sell. If you
live in a small town, you will probably be forced to buy frozen
or whatever they can catch locally. There is no reason why you
can't make it a weekend trip and go out fishing. Fishing is a
great way to relieve stress as well. If you know of a few good
spots, a few big fish is all that you need. You will have more
fish than you know what to do with.
If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean, you have
probably grown up eating all kinds of fish. My favorite way of
eating fish is probably grilled. I like it to be grilled with a
little seasoning and maybe a hint of lemon. The lemon I think
keeps the fish tasting fresh and alive. When you are buying
fish, the fish should never smell fishy. I know that sounds
stupid, but that is the truth. If it smells fishy, then it is
probably old. You don't want to waste your money on bad fish.
Fish should smell like the sea. Always buy fish with the head on
it. If cleaning a fish bothers you, have the person selling it
to you chop it off. The eyes should look clear and not foggy. It
should look like it was just caught yesterday. With fish,
freshness is the most important thing.
Like I said, I don't believe that anyone should avoid eating
meat. I think that it is good for you. The catch is, you need to
be careful what you eat. If you can do that, you have it made.