Lamb is the most nourishing meat, pork is the richest in iron, chicken has the least fat, fish and shellfish have the most trace elements, and beef is the most strengthening meat.
Spicy Lamb Soup
The protein in meat can also be obtained from milk and legumes, but B vitamins, essential fatty acids, and minerals like zinc and iron cannot be replaced by vegetables and fruits. Therefore, it's not that we don't need meat, but that we don't need excessive meat.
The "Dietary Balance Pagoda" clearly states that a person should consume 75 grams of lean meat per day, which is about the size of a deck of cards. For vegetables, it is best to consume about 500 grams per day.
I. Lamb, the most nourishing meat
Lamb helps to restore vital energy, replenish essence and blood, and treat lung deficiency. It is particularly beneficial for those with asthma, bronchitis, lung diseases, and those with deficiency-cold. It can also tonify the kidneys, strengthen yang, replenish deficiency, resist cold, and strengthen the body, making it a precious nourishing food for winter. However, it should be noted that lamb is inherently warm and not suitable for everyone. Those with yin deficiency and excessive fire, cough with phlegm, indigestion, arthritis, eczema, or fever should avoid it.
II. Pork, the richest in iron meat
Pork varies greatly in its lean-to-fat ratio. Fatty pork has a high fat content and low protein content, and excessive consumption can easily lead to high blood lipids and obesity. Most protein is concentrated in lean meat, and it also contains hemoglobin, which can supplement iron and prevent anemia. The hemoglobin in meat is better absorbed than that in plants, so eating lean meat for iron supplementation is more effective than eating vegetables.
Because the muscle fibers of pork are relatively soft and it contains a large amount of intramuscular fat, it is easier to digest and absorb than beef. In traditional Chinese medicine, eating lean pork is believed to have the effect of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, and it has a certain therapeutic effect on heat-damage to body fluids, dry cough, and constipation.
III. Chicken, the least fatty meat
The chicken referred to here is skinless chicken, as almost all of the chicken's fat is in the skin. Every 100 grams of skinless chicken contains 24 grams of protein but only 0.7 grams of fat. Chicken has a good therapeutic effect on malnutrition, aversion to cold, fatigue, menstrual irregularities, anemia, and weakness.
IV. Fish and shellfish, the meat with the most trace elements
Fish and shellfish are extremely rich in trace elements, containing calcium, aluminum, iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, iodine, chlorine, sulfur, etc., all of which are essential for the human body. Although aquatic products are rich in nutrients, they should not be eaten in excess. Due to marine pollution, aquatic products often contain toxins and harmful substances, and excessive consumption can easily damage the spleen and stomach, leading to gastrointestinal diseases.
V. Beef, the strongest meat
Beef is most suitable for those who are physically weak and have declining mental abilities. The amino acid composition of beef protein is closer to human needs than pork's, which can improve the body's disease resistance. It is especially suitable for people in growth and development, or for post-operative and convalescent patients in terms of replenishing blood loss and repairing tissue. However, the muscle fibers of beef are relatively coarse and not easy to digest, and it has high cholesterol and fat, so the elderly, young children, and those with weak digestion should not eat too much.
Spicy lamb soup