Yes, Pork is a Lean Meat!

Did you know pork raised on modern pig farms compares favorably to other meats for fat, calories and cholesterol? Pork even provides a greater amount of vitamins and minerals, and many cuts of pork are as lean or leaner than chicken (lean = relatively low fat content).

PORK’S “SLIM 7” LEAN CUTS OF MEAT

Pig farmers like Jen Sturtevant and Thomas Titus responded to consumers’ desire for lean pork products through improvements in animal feed and farming practices. This resulted in seven common cuts of pork that are 16 percent leaner than they were in the 1980s:

1. Pork tenderloin
2. Sirloin pork chop
3. New York pork chop (boneless top loin pork chop)
4. Ground pork, 96% lean
5. New York pork roast (boneless top loin pork roast)
6. Porterhouse chop (bone-in center pork chop)
7. Ribeye pork chop (bone-in rib pork chop)

So, if you’re looking for lean, take a break from skinless chicken breast and give pork a try!

Loin = lean 

One of the easiest ways to remember lean cuts of pork is to look for the word “loin” in the name, such as pork tenderloin. The loin is the muscle along the back of a pig behind the ribs. Any kind of pork chop is also a lean choice because chops are made by cutting the loin into slices.

Pork tenderloin, for example, is just as lean as skinless chicken breast and meets the guidelines for “extra lean.” In total, six pork cuts (plus 96% lean ground pork) meet the USDA guidelines for “lean,” with less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

Packed with nutrients

Pork isn’t just lean, it’s also an excellent source of nutrients important to our health, such as thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, phosphorus and protein, and it’s a good source of zinc and potassium. In fact, a 3-ounce serving of pork provides you with 54 percent of your daily value of thiamin! Thiamin is a key vitamin that helps with your metabolism.

Heart healthy

Pork is naturally low in sodium and a good source of potassium – two nutrients that, together, can help regulate blood pressure. Pork tenderloin is certified as heart healthy by the American Heart Association with its Heart-Check mark, indicating that it contains, among other criteria:

• 5 grams or less of total fat
• 1 gram or less of saturated fat
• 480 milligrams or less of sodium per label serving

If you’re looking for a lean, healthy meal, give pork a try! Explore our recipes for garlic-mustard pork roast, easy pork stir-fry and guava citrus marinated grilled pork chops.

Photo courtesy of the National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff.