Page 90 - Nutrition Essentials for Nursing Practice

78 U N I T 1 Principles of Nutrition

Box 4.2 FAT CONTENT OF VARIOUS PROTEIN FOODS

Very lean protein foods: 0–1 g fat per ounce Medium-fat protein foods: 5 g fat per ounce
Skinless, white meat chicken and turkey Ground beef
Scallops, shrimp, and tuna canned in Prime rib
Fried fish
water Dark meat chicken
Egg whites, egg substitutes Egg yolk
Dried peas, beans, and lentils

Lean protein foods: 3 g fat per ounce High-fat protein foods: 8 g fat per ounce
Lean beef Pork sausage
Salmon Bologna
Lean pork Bacon
Peanut butter

Marbling: fat deposited prepared by methods that do not add fat, such as baked, roasted, broiled, grilled,
in the muscle of meat. poached, or boiled.
■ Untrimmed meats are higher in fat than lean-only portions.
■ “Red meats”—namely, beef, pork, and lamb—are higher in saturated fat than the “white
meats” of poultry and seafood.
■ White poultry meat is lower in fat than dark meat; removing poultry skin removes sig-
nificant fat.
■ Fat content varies among different cuts of meat. The leanest cuts are beef loin and round,
veal and lamb from the loin or leg, and pork tenderloin or center loin chop.
■ Beef grades can be used as a guide to fat content because grades are based largely on the
amount of marbling. Beef graded “prime,” sold mostly to restaurants, is the most heavily
marbled grade and thus the fattiest. In retail stores, within any cut, “choice” has more
marbling and higher fat content than “select.”
■ Shellfish are very low in fat but have cholesterol.
■ Most wild game is very lean. The fat content in bison, venison, elk, ostrich, pheasant
(without skin), rabbit, and squirrel ranges from 2 to 5 g per 3-oz serving.
■ Processed meats, such as sausage and hot dogs, may provide more fat calories than pro-
tein calories.
■ Nuts have many healthy attributes; they contain plant protein, fiber, vitamin E, selenium,
magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium in a low–saturated fat, cholesterol-free
package. Their high fat content of 13 to 20 g/oz comes mostly from monounsaturated
fats and polyunsaturated fats. Walnuts are a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid.
■ Egg yolks have approximately 186 mg of cholesterol. The cholesterol content of typical
cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and poultry is generally around 70 mg/3 oz. Veal averages
slightly more at about 90 mg/3 oz. The exceptions are organ meats, which are very high
in cholesterol. Egg whites, legumes, and nuts are cholesterol free.

Oils

Oil allowances are small, usually 5 to 7 tsp/day for adults, depending on their total calorie
needs. This group includes not only vegetable oils like canola, corn, and olive but also
oil-rich foods such as margarine and mayonnaise. Some other items on the oil list, such