Healthy balance
Meat, fish, eggs, beans & other non-dairy sources of protein
Protein is an essential part of a healthy balanced diet.
Meat, fish and alternatives such as eggs, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds provide protein, which is essential for growth and repair of cells, as well as important vitamins and minerals.
- Eat in moderation.
- A typical portion equals:
50–100g cooked lean red meat or poultry or oily fish;
100–150g cooked white fish;
1–2 eggs
3 tablespoons beans, pulses or lentils;
2 tablespoons peanut butter or nuts.
- Choose lean cuts of meat. Trim off any excess fat and remove skin from chicken. Add beans, lentils or veg to meat dishes.
- Eat at least 2 servings of fish a week*, one of which should be oil-rich like mackerel, fresh tuna or salmon. These contain omega-3 fats, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Examples of oil rich fish:
- Salmon (fresh or canned)
- Fresh tuna
- Mackerel (fresh, smoked and canned)
- Herring
- Sardines (fresh and canned)
- Pilchards (fresh and canned)
- Eel
- Trout
- Kipper
- Whitebait
- Swordfish
Is red meat bad for you?
Far from it. In fact, lean red meat provides several important nutrients to the diet, such as iron and zinc. One in three British women under the age of 50 has low iron stores, and this can lead to tiredness and increased susceptibility to colds and infections. Although you can get iron from vegetables, beans and wholegrains, the iron in meat is in a form that is easily absorbed by the body. A 100g serving of red meat provides around 18% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of iron, over half the RDA for zinc and more than 100% of the RDA for vitamin B12. It's reconmended that we should consume no more than 500g of red meat a week.
Take a can of beans
Canned beans and lentils are a great source of protein and they are also low in fat. They’re full of fibre and they have a low Glycaemic Index, so can help you feel full for longer.
Beans and lentils are a useful source of iron for vegetarians and they even count towards your 5-a-day target for fruit and vegetables. Try using them to make salads or adding them to soups, stews and casseroles.
- 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked beans counts as one serving of veg.
Beans only count as one serving, no matter how many you eat.
*Women of child-bearing age should not eat more than 2 servings of oil-rich fish a week because they can contain high levels of chemicals called dioxins.
This information is a guide only and should not replace advice given from your healthcare professional.
