S/O of eating healthy/clean/real...I notice a lot of bacon, sausage and meat

[6packofun]

I'm curious about the differences in people's thinking on (what I thought were) fatty meats like bacon and sausage being a regular thing on the menu when asked about eating healthy. It seems as if those who get their meat *fresh* and unpolluted, etc. consider it part of a healthy diet. Perhaps not daily, but regular.

 

Now, I don't necessarily want to get into the low-carb or Atkins conversation, so perhaps that's what's going on in the responses. I just find it interesting that as long as dairy and beef and pork are more natural, that they are considered healthy. Maybe only lean cuts are being had?

 

What say you? (We're meat-eaters here, but I stay away from things like bacon, sausage and the fattier beef and pork, go skinless with poultry and all that. I'd say that most bacon and sausage don't fall into the "all in moderation" mantra at our house, but what do I know? LOL)

[AnnaM]

There is alot of misinformation about fats. Fats are healthy for you you. The right kind and right portions that is :)

 

Here is a little bit of information on fats. Her site has tons more!

[Julie in Austin]

I find that a very small amount of sausage or bacon can add a ton of flavor to a large amount of other food. For example, this is what I made for dinner last night:

 

Layer in a casserole pan 2c brown rice (cooked), a diced head of cabbage, 1lb. of sausage that has been cooked with 2c diced onions and 2c diced celery, cover with 2 cans of tomato soup, and bake. Sprinkle a little mozzarella on top.

 

I know it would be healthier if I found a substitute for the tomato soup. But my point is that it makes 8-10 servings of an absolutely divine dinner, with maybe 2oz. of sausage in each one. And that's a lot of veggies!

[Whereneverever]

We eat a lot of meat. DH hunts for a large portion of it and the rest is raised by people we know. We also process it- so the sausage, bacon, ect doesn't have wonky stuff in it.

[sunflowerlady]

Well, I didn't post on any other thread, but I do eat bacon, sausage, ham etc. I know you don't want to get into an Atkins discussion, so I will just say that I follow Atkins and these foods are a part of my plan. However, Atkins is not only these items, and I do not eat them every day. I eat them in moderation.

[justamouse]

Moderation, yes. We have that stuff once in a while and I use bacon and such to give a smoky flavor. I probably would use it more if I had access to pastured pigs. :001_smile: Cause pig fat rules.

 

I don't know what to think about fatty foods-I think there are different kinds of fat.

 

I actually lost 4 pounds over the holidays while eating cheese, crackers and wine almost nightly. I mean, I *pounded* that brie. :D But I ate so little (in a sitting) because it was so filling.

 

Now, if it was cheese whiz or Velveeta and Ritz, maybe I would have gained 5 pounds (fake fats as opposed to natural fats).

 

We Do eat a lot of venison. A lot . It's the main meat in my freezer right now.

[FaithManor]

We raise our own pigs and we feed them for slow, steady growth, no corn, and butcher youung. So, they are very lean. I would not feed my family this much pork if I had to buy it commercially. When I cook sausage patties or bacon, there is virtually no shrinkage...I encounter more fat in store purchased ground round than I do in my pork. But, again, we grow them specifically for that. I am dieting and do not eat any of it, however, when I am not dieting, I do eat small, small portions. Dh also limits his. Since we have three very rapidly growing boys that we cannot keep from hunger without serious protein, one is lifting weights too which really makes him ravenous, we feel the protein is warranted.

 

I also think that as far as cholesterol is concerned, meat has been over demonized. John Hopkins did some studies on this and found that when they biopsied the arteries of victims of heart attack due to arterioschlerosis, that the concent of the blockages were hydrogenated oils which are a type of "plastic" cholesterol that permeates commercial foods and cannot be properly broken down by the body. Another little known fact is that 60-65% of all the cholesterol in our blood stream is manufactured by the body. Usually, one's good cholesterol goes up quite a bit when hydrogenated oils are eliminated from the diet. But, it can take up to three years for this to occur...it takes that long for the body to manage to expel it. We found this out when our oldest ds was 5 and diagnosed with a heart condition that thankfully, is not an issue now.

 

But, people are all over the map on this so you will get a lot of opinions.

 

I happen to think, everything in moderation (except known poisons like hydrogenated and hydrolyzed products and HFCS), as long as one is eating lots and lots of veggies and fruits, or more than moderation for teenage boys with hollow legs!

 

I actually limit grains quite a bit in our house. I think it's an errant philosophy that puts grains at the base of the food pyramid. The human body was not built for grains like our ruminant animal friends. Unless the grains are soaked for very long periods of time, including flours - rice - etc., before use, humans do not absorb much of the nutrients even if they are "healthy" whole grains. The grains I do use are soaked for 24 hours before being cooked. For flours, I mix with a little yogurt for 24 hours prior to baking. It does give the flour a tangy flavor and sometimes I have to offset that with a little honey and also adjust my liquids in the recipe. But, the probiotics help "pre-digest" the grains and make the b vitamins more accessible to the gut. Due to the change in taste of the grains, I rarely make bread...it's hard to get the recipe right and have everyone like the taste.

 

Faith

[WistfulRidge]

I think it depends on each individual when it comes to the amount of animal fats a person eats. Like I mentioned in another threat I need a significant amount of animal fats to function properly. 90% of the "oil" I use is butter, I eat bacon and sausage on a regular basis, a normal breakfast for me is a couple of eggs scrambled in a tbsp or so of butter. I prefer whole milk (raw, if I can get it) etc. Super lean cuts of meat have never been very appealing to me and usually make me gag unless I'm eating them with some sort of uber yummy sauce. This approach works very well for me, my DS, and a couple of my sisters. My blood pressure has gone down and stabilized, my cholesterol is good, I'm actually losing weight despite consuming an alarming number of calories (pregnant and breastfeeding) and I feel healthier than I ever have.

 

My mother, on the other hand, would probably die within a week. Her body just cannot handle fat, of any kind, in any significant amount. She needs much more of a carb based diet whereas I function much better on a diet high in animal fats, protein, and leafy greens.

 

Every body is different. You just have to find what works for you.

Edited January 21, 2011 by theAmbitiousHousewife

[Britomart]

Like a PP, I often use bacon or sausage or ham in small amounts because a bit of it adds a lot of flavor. Take something healthy and yummy like split pea soup, and add just a quarter cup of ham, and you've got something even yummier.

 

Or fried rice. I make the Vietnamese fried rice recipe from More With Less, and use a bit of ham (and, I think, less oil than they call for, and brown rice instead of white). Most of the meal is veggies, brown rice and the bed of greens and herbs it's served on, but that bit of ham just makes it all pop.

[kiana]

I think it depends on each individual when it comes to the amount of animal fats a person I eats. Like I mentioned in another threat I need a significant amount of animal fats to function properly. 90% of the "oil" I use is butter, I eat bacon and sausage on a regular basis, a normal breakfast for me is a couple of eggs scrambled in a tbsp or so of butter. I prefer whole milk (raw, if I can get it) etc. Super lean cuts of meat have never been very appealing to me and usually make me gag unless I'm eating them with some sort of uber yummy sauce. This approach works very well for me, my DS, and a couple of my sisters. My blood pressure has gone down and stabilized, my cholesterol is good, I'm actually losing weight despite consuming an alarming number of calories (pregnant and breastfeeding) and I feel healthier than I ever have.

 

My mother, on the other hand, would probably die within a week. Her body just cannot handle fat, of any kind, in any significant amount. She needs much more of a carb based diet whereas I function much better on a diet high in animal fats, protein, and leafy greens.

 

Every body is different. You just have to find what works for you.

 

Yes. I'm the same. I work well on a far higher fat diet than many, my weight is high but my body fat %, waistline, blood pressure, cholesterol, and every other measure are well within normal.

[Joanne]

I'm curious about the differences in people's thinking on (what I thought were) fatty meats like bacon and sausage being a regular thing on the menu when asked about eating healthy. It seems as if those who get their meat *fresh* and unpolluted, etc. consider it part of a healthy diet. Perhaps not daily, but regular.

 

Now, I don't necessarily want to get into the low-carb or Atkins conversation, so perhaps that's what's going on in the responses. I just find it interesting that as long as dairy and beef and pork are more natural, that they are considered healthy. Maybe only lean cuts are being had?

 

What say you? (We're meat-eaters here, but I stay away from things like bacon, sausage and the fattier beef and pork, go skinless with poultry and all that. I'd say that most bacon and sausage don't fall into the "all in moderation" mantra at our house, but what do I know? LOL)

 

I can't answer *without* getting into low carb, "Atkins" conversation. I don't buy into (after hours and hour of copious research) the idea that fat = bad for you.

 

I eat a lot of meat and veggies.

 

That said, I think most bacon is processed poorly and the same with sausage.

[6packofun]

I don't mind the mention of it as the *reason*, I was actually just wanting to avoid the whole Atkins good--Atkins bad conversation which we've done before! I really am curious if there are that many people doing low-carb and that's why the answers were what they were or if there were other factors. :)

[KatieH]

We very rarely eat conventional pork. We eat a lot of pastured pork raised on a small, organic family farm just a few miles from our house. Most of it is free of nitrites and nitrates. It's good, healthy meat, and so the fat is good for you, imo. We eat bacon 4 or 5 mornings a week.

 

We don't do low-carb, but we try to keep our carb consumption moderate, eat whole grains (soaked/sprouted). Lots of fresh veggies (served with butter or another good fat) and good quality meat. I aim for my calories to be around 2500 a day, with 60% coming from fat. Okay, so today we "fell off the wagon" and ate pizza from a local place and pop (soda), and dh and I were both bloated and gassy within half an hour! I said "Now you know why we don't eat like this anymore!" I feel like total crap, and looking forward to starting tomorrow with some fresh eggs from my hens fried in butter, and some bacon from the farm :) (Actually, I'm stopping by the farm to pick up some beef soup bones and chicken feet for broth, too!)

 

When I eat this way "perfectly," I can lose 3 pounds a week (all I want to lose a week, as I'm nursing my son).

[Mejane]

I had the same thought about all the meat. We don't eat much and don't consider it healthy. That said, I do love me some bacon occasionally, though. ;)

[Dawn in OH]

I really am curious if there are that many people doing low-carb and that's why the answers were what they were or if there were other factors. :)

 

I eat a low carb diet. I am not on a "diet", as in Atkins or any other plan. I have found that my body just does not handle carbs well. I need to keep them to a minimum and balanced with my fats and protein. If I were to eat just a muffin or a bagel without a good deal of protein, I don't function well.

 

We eat meat. We get beef that is locally raised, grass fed, no hormones and antibiotics. We also get sausage from the same person. He makes the sausage himself. When we do have sausage it's generally in our scrambled eggs and it breaks down to about a tablespoon of crumbled sausage per person. It adds a lot of flavor and a bit more protein to the meal.

 

We get organic chicken from the store. I haven't found anyone locally to get chicken from yet.

 

My husband and children eat more carbs than I do. But we probably still eat less than the average American.

[Parrothead]

I'm a very lucky freak of nature. So far, I can eat bacon (mmm... bacon) and sausage without worrying about cholesterol. I eat one or the other most every morning. I actually need more fat in my diet for my body to be able to deal with fat soluble vitamins.

 

My weight is about 20 pounds on the high side, but I'm otherwise healthy. Once I start running this spring I'm sure I'll loose or redistribute that 20 pounds.

[amy g.]

We raise milk-fed pork, and eat plenty of it. We also have a deal with our neighbors. Every year, we buy bottle calves, and we keep them here and feed them milk. They take them to their house when it is time to put them on grass.

 

Home grown food tastes so much better than what we can buy at the store. I was thinking of these discussions today when I was watering the garden, and eating purple carrots washed in the garden hose.

 

We eat full-fat fresh raw dairy and daily meat and home-grown vegetables, but none of us are sick or overweight. I think it is because real food satisfies. Our portions are small.

[javamoma]

I just have to jump in on this conversation because I am a registered dietitan. And I must say you DO need animal fat! (Don't read that last sentence as yelling. I'm just excited because this is my favorite subject.)

 

As a previous poster stated, there are many misconceptions about fat. And the composition of fat from grass-fed (natural) animal sources is different that conventional and so very beneficial. We eat tons of meat, butter, and raw milk and dairy products. Both DH and I has thin without dieting or watching what we eat. We do a conservative amount of grains but not to the point of adkins. Our diet is mostly meat, veggies, fruit, and some grains. And we are one of those families that rarely get sick.

 

I could go on forever about this subject but I don't want to bore you all!

[Peela]

I had the same thought about all the meat. We don't eat much and don't consider it healthy. That said, I do love me some bacon occasionally, though. ;)

 

This is me too. I dont believe meat is generally healthy, and i am eating less and less of it nowadays....but, everynow and then, I can't resist bacon. Yet right this moment? Yuk, not appealing at all.

[Peela]

I just have to jump in on this conversation because I am a registered dietitan. And I must say you DO need animal fat!

 

 

Well, the millions of people who live without animal fat, and are not overweight or dying of heart disease, might disagree with you.

It is an opinon that is controversial, not a fact. :)

(I am a trained naturopath)

[mcconnellboys]

We do use leaner cuts and I am more in the Atkin's camp, I'm afraid. I do not believe that it is meat (or necessarily fat, although I believe that should be moderated) that is bad for our systems. Meats whose content has been altered chemically due to their diets, chemicals they are injected with, etc. may not be healthy - but meats raised in a natural way, as the animals were intended to live, are not, in my opinion, unhealthy.

[Negin]

Well, the millions of people who live without animal fat, and are not overweight or dying of heart disease, might disagree with you.

It is an opinon that is controversial, not a fact. :)

(I am a trained naturopath)

:iagree:

Although I love the occasional red meat, etc, I agree with Peela.

Goes along with one of my favorite books

 

Eat foods. Mostly plants. Not too much.

 

When he says "food", he means "real" food, as in not processed, etc.