All you pork lovers are in luck. According to a study published in the February journal Obesity, Purdue University researchers found that including protein from lean pork in your diet can help you lose weight while maintaining more lean tissue, including muscle. The pork dieters rated themselves more positively in terms of overall mood and feelings of pleasure during dieting compare to those who ate less protein.
Banish those cravings
The women in the study followed either a high-protein diet or a normal-protein diet but the same amount of calories. The women who ate more protein, with pork as their only source of meat, felt fuller longer after meals.
Did you know…
Pork truly is The Other White Meat®! According to an analysis by the US Department of Agriculture, pork tenderloin contains the same amount of fat and slightly less calories than the same serving of skinless chicken breast. What’s more, the same analysis found there are six cuts of pork that are considered either extra lean or lean by labelling standards. Now dieters have more options than ever to make lean, healthy choices when planning meals.
Comparing your Pork
How does pork compare to other meats for fat, calories and cholesterol? Pork today compares favourably for fat, calories and cholesterol with many other meats and poultry. While providing a greater amount of vitamins and minerals, many cuts of pork are as lean or leaner than chicken.
Tenderloin, for example, is just as lean as skinless chicken breast and meets the government guidelines for “extra lean.” In total, six pork cuts meet the USDA guidelines for “lean,” with less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. Any cuts from the loin — like pork chops or roasts — are leaner than skinless chicken thigh. Steaks or roasts from the leg (“fresh ham”) are also lean choices.
Serving Sizes and Nutritional Profiles of Lean Meats
| 3-ounce cooked serving: | Calories | Total Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | Cholesterol (mg) |
| LEAN CHICKEN | ||||
| Skinless chicken breast* | 139 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 73 |
| Skinless chicken leg* | 162 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 80 |
| Skinless chicken thigh* | 177 | 9.3 | 2.6 | 81 |
| LEAN CUTS OF PORK | ||||
| Pork Tenderloin* | 120 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 62 |
| Pork boneless top loin chop** | 173 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 61 |
| Pork top loin roast* | 147 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 68 |
| Pork center loin chop** | 153 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 72 |
| Pork sirloin roast* | 173 | 8.0 | 2.4 | 76 |
| Pork rib chop** | 158 | 7.1 | 2.2 | 56 |
| LEAN CUTS OF BEEF | ||||
| Beef eye of round * | 141 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 59 |
| Beef top round*** | 169 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 76 |
| Beef tip round* | 149 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 69 |
| Beef top sirloin** | 162 | 8 | 2.2 | 76 |
| Beef top loin** | 168 | 7.1 | 2.7 | 65 |
| Beef tenderloin** | 175 | 8.1 | 3.0 | 71 |
| FISH (*dry heat,**moist heat) | ||||
| Cod* | 89 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 40 |
| Flounder* | 99 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 58 |
| Halibut* | 119 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 35 |
| Orange Roughy* | 75 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 22 |
| Salmon* | 175 | 11.0 | 2.1 | 54 |
| Shrimp** | 84 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 166 |
*Roasted **Cooked ***Braised
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database Release 18 or the 2006 Revised USDA Nutrient Data Set for Fresh Pork.
Bored of Chicken?
The high-protein diet included 6 ounces, or two servings, of pork every day. It’s easy to reach this goal by including lean cuts of pork like Yorkshire Dry Cured bacon with your eggs for breakfast, adding grilled or sautéed chop strips to your salad at lunch, or roasting tenderloin for dinner.
You could also try our 9 hour Slow Cooked Pork Belly… why not eh?
