• 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish count as a serving

• 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat

• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter counts as 1 ounce of meat

• 1/3 cup of nuts count as 1 oz of meat

How much is 2-3 oz of meat?

It is a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards, or the size of the palm of a hand.

Buying tips and preparation

• Use spices and herbs for flavoring instead of fat

• Choose lean or extra lean ground beef with no more than 10-15% fat

• Choose lean cuts of pork (tenderloin, loin chop), lean beef (round, sirloin, chuck, loin).

• Buy "choice" or "select" grades of beef rather than "prime"

• Avoid eating poultry skin. If you place the chicken on a rack during baking, the skin can be left on. Remove the skin after the chicken is cooked. The meat will stay moist and the amount of fat in the meat won't have increased appreciably.

• Chill meat juices after cooking. The hardened fat can be easily skimmed off. These lean juices can be added to stews, soups and gravy.

• Prepare meats by baking, roasting, microwaving or stir-frying. Avoid charred meats.

Foods brought together into a group are generally high in a number of specific nutrients. The meat group, for instance, is a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. All these are essential nutrients for good health. Depending on the cut of meat and how it is prepared, meats may contribute significant amounts of fat to a person's intake.

What does the "meat" group include?

It includes beef, pork, lamb (the "red" meats), as well as poultry, fish, eggs and non-animal foods like peanut butter, legumes (beans, dry peas, lentils), and nuts.

Does Recommendation 7 include all items in the "meat"group?

No. Recommendation 7 is only concerned with limiting the intake of "red" meats from farmed domesticated animals.

Is it the fat in red meats that raises cancer risk?

The answer to this question is presently unknown. On light of the present evidence, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund concluded that diets containing substantial amounts of red meat probably increase the risk of colorectal cancer…that such diets possibly increase the risk of pancreatic, breast, prostate and renal cancers. However, let's keep in mind that fat is not one homogenous substance; there are many types of fat. Until studies clearly answer this question, the recommendation that we consume less than 3 oz of red meat daily if any, should be taken as a preventive measure.