meat, fish, eggs & beans

What counts?
This food group includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs and alternatives (see below). Meat products include bacon, salami, sausages, beef burgers and pâté. Fish includes frozen and canned fish such as sardines and tuna, fish fingers and fish cakes.

How much should you eat?

EAT MODERATE AMOUNTS
Choose lower fat versions whenever you can. Some meat products, e.g. beef burgers and sausages, can be high in fat. Trim visible fat off meat where possible. The Government recommends that we eat two portions of fish each week, one of which should be an oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines or fresh tuna). Some people may benefit from eating more than this.

Alternatives
These include nuts, tofu, mycoprotein, textured vegetable protein (TVP), beans such as kidney beans and canned baked beans, and pulses such as lentils. These foods provide protein, fibre and iron but unlike those listed above are not a rich source of zinc and generally provide no vitamin B12 (unless fortified).

Why eat these foods?

These foods provide:

• Protein: needed for growth and repair, also a source of energy
• Iron: especially red meat, needed for healthy red blood cells
• B Vitamins: especially vitamin B12 (required for blood cells and nerve function)
• Vitamin D: in meat, required for healthy bones
• Zinc: required for tissue growth and repair
• Magnesium: helps the body use energy. Needed for healthy tissues and bones
• Omega-3 fatty acids: in oily fish, may help protect against heart disease

Healthy eating tips

• Choose lower fat meat products
• Choose lean cuts of meat
• Cut visible fat including skin from meat and poultry and drain away fat after cooking
• Try to grill, roast or microwave meat and fish rather than frying
• Eat oily fish once a week

 © British Nutrition Foundation