A healthy meat and vegetable diet includes red meats and poultry and a variety of fresh vegetables. Meats provide proteins and iron, while vegetables contain a variety of vitamins and minerals needed for the body. A healthy meat and vegetable diet boosts the immune system and helps maintain overall health.
Choosing Meats
Choosing lean meats is key to a healthy meat diet, which includes red meat. Red meat is not necessarily bad, even for those with high cholesterol or heart disease. Choosing the right cut and portion size is key. "Lean" meats mean it contains less than 10g of fat per 3-oz. serving and "extra lean" means less than 5g of fat. Choose ground beef with 5 percent or less fat, usually notated as 95/5 or 97/3. For cuts of beef, choose round or sirloin, which have the lowest fat content. While T-bone and ribeye contain the highest fat, a 3-oz. portion is still considered lean, as it has just 8g of fat. Beef provides the body with zinc, protein and iron.
Other meats that fit a healthy diet include chicken, turkey and venison. Chicken breast and turkey provide the leanest fat content with all the health benefits of protein, niacin, selenium, vitamin B6 and phosphorus. Venison is not often found, but contains just 3g of fat per 3 oz. Venison contains the same nutrients as chicken and turkey as well as zinc, copper and iron.
Choosing Vegetables
The guideline with vegetables is to include the "rainbow on your plate." Red vegetables like red bell peppers, red cabbage and beets contain lycopene linked to reduce the risk of certain cancers and contain antioxidants to protect cells from damage. Orange and yellow vegetables contain vitamin A needed for healthy skin and eyes. Orange and yellow vegetables get their color from carotenoid, which is good for heart health and to reduce the risk of heart attacks.
Green vegetables have lutein, folate and vitamin B. The high chlorophyll content is also beneficial for reducing stomach acids. Blue and purple vegetables contain antioxidants that protect from cell damage and reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. White vegetables, like ginger root and onions help lower blood pressure and may help reduce the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease.
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