Food Pyramid: Tips to Help You Wisely Choose from the Meat and Beans Group

• Start with a lean choice:

• The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
• The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
• Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least "90% lean". You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.
• Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices.
• Choose lean turkey, roast beef, ham, or low-fat luncheon meats for sandwiches instead of luncheon meats with more fat, such as regular bologna or salami.

• Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.
• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds fat and calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.
• Prepare dry beans and peas without added fats.
• Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.

Vary your protein choices:

• Choose fish more often for lunch or dinner. Look for fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring.
Some ideas are:

• Salmon steak or filet
• Salmon loaf
• Grilled or baked trout

• Choose dry beans or peas as a main dish or part of a meal often.
Some choices are:

• Chili with kidney or pinto beans
• Stir- fried tofu
• Split pea, lentil, minestrone, or white bean soups
• Baked beans
• Black bean enchiladas
• Garbanzo or kidney beans on a chef's salad
• Rice and beans
• Veggie burgers or garden burgers
• Hummus (chickpeas) spread on pita bread

• Choose nuts as a snack, on salads, or in main dishes. Use nuts to replace meat or poultry, not in addition to these items:

• Use pine nuts in pesto sauce for pasta.
• Add slivered almonds to steamed vegetables.
• Add toasted peanuts or cashews to a vegetable stir fry instead of meat.
• Sprinkle a few nuts on top of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt.
• Add walnuts or pecans to a green salad instead of cheese or meat.

What to look for on the Food Label:

• Check the Nutrition Facts label for the saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium content of packaged foods.

• Processed meats such as hams, sausages, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium. Check the ingredient and Nutrition Facts label to help limit sodium intake.
• Fresh chicken, turkey, and pork that have been enhanced with a salt-containing solution also have added sodium. Check the product label for statements such as "self-basting" or "contains up to __% of __."
• Lower fat versions of many processed meats are available. Look on the Nutrition Facts label to choose products with less fat and saturated fat.

Keep it safe to eat:

• Separate raw, cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
• Do not wash or rinse meat or poultry.
• Wash cutting boards, knives, utensils and counter tops in hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to the next one.
• Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices don't drip onto other foods.
• Cook foods to a safe temperature to kill microorganisms. Use a meat thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked meat and poultry, to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way through.
• Chill (refrigerate) perishable food promptly and defrost foods properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours.
• Plan ahead to defrost foods. Never defrost food on the kitchen counter at room temperature. Thaw food by placing it in the refrigerator, submerging air-tight packaged food in cold tap water, or defrosting on a plate in the microwave.
• Avoid raw or partially cooked eggs or foods containing raw eggs and raw or undercooked meat and poultry.
• Women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children should avoid some types of fish and eat types lower in mercury. See www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html or call 1-888-SAFEFOOD for more information.

Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, gives science-based advice on food and physical activity choices for health. The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that " Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; " Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and " Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. The recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines and in MyPyramid are for the general public over 2 years of age. MyPyramid is not a therapeutic diet for any specific health condition. Individuals with a chronic health condition should consult with a health care provider to determine what dietary pattern is appropriate for them.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - www.mypyramid.gov