Nutrition guidelines offer a recommendation for how much animal (or plant-based) protein you should eat in a week, rather than offering a specific meat recommendation. They suggest consuming no more than 26 oz of animal protein per week, including lean meats and poultry, without set limits or recommendations per protein type.
How Much Red Meat Should You Eat in a Week?
U.S. nutrition guidelines don’t provide a set amount of red meat you should eat a week, but they do note that most nutritious diets include “relatively lower” consumption of red meats. As a reference, groups like the American Institute for Cancer Research suggest eating no more than 18 oz of red meat weekly, which would be roughly three or four servings.
How Much Processed Meat Should You Eat in a Week?
Nutrition experts recommend limiting processed meat — or avoiding it altogether. Federal guidelines advise that most of the animal protein in your diet should come from fresh and lean sources — and less from processed meats, like hot dogs, sausages, bacon, and lunch meat.
In addition to additives that are used for preservation and to reduce bacterial growth, Geiker notes that preparation methods can introduce more risk.
“Preparing meats over very high temperatures, frying, or barbecuing can lead to formation of harmful chemical compounds, increasing the risk of cancers,” she says.
If you’re looking to cut down on your processed meat intake, consider low-fat and low sodium versions of lunch meats, like chicken or turkey breast. Or replace breakfast meats like bacon and sausage with low-sodium, nitrate-free turkey bacon.
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