Which is Better: Red Meat VS White Meat

As we all might know consuming meat is a great way to gain proteins and numerous vitamins and minerals that your body requires.

Fun fact! Do you know why chicken thigh is darker compared to chicken breast? Chicken thighs are muscles that are used more often compared to breasts which will increase the number of myoglobin being present in it. Myoglobin stores oxygen in muscle cells, which uses oxygen to extract the energy needed for daily activities. As a result, chicken thighs are darker compared to the breast meat.

So which type of meat is better: White or Red?

White Meat

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I think many of us know that chicken is being categorised as white meat. However, there are still many types of white meat we are not aware of such as fish, rabbit and even veal. Veal is the meat of calves, it is white because it is slaughtered after the calf has been milk fed for a year. Therefore, there is less usage of muscles and as a result the meat is pale and white.

Red Meat

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Why is red meat ‘red’? The reason is because the muscle fibres of the meat contain a high content of myoglobin, which are coloured red. Some examples of red meat are beef and pork. However, there are many debates regarding whether pork is a red meat or white meat. Pork is classified as red meat because it contains more myoglobin compared to chicken and fish.

Which One is Better?!

White meat has fewer calories and less fats compared to red meat. 150g of chicken breast contains an estimated of 150kcal and 3g of fats, while 150g of beef contains 260kcal and 9g of fats. That's almost twice the amount of calories and 3 times the amount of fats than white meat. However, there are actually some benefits of eating red meat. The micronutrients in red meat are higher compared to white meat. Some examples of the micronutrients are iron, zinc, vitamin B6 and B12 which are essential for your daily lives.

In conclusion, both types of meats have their own pros and cons. It is best to incorporate the two types of the meats in your diet so that you are able to enjoy and have a balanced diet. However, try eating lesser red meats as too much fats can increase the risk of getting colorectal cancer.

Do you know that Foodline provides a wide array of meats for you to choose from?

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