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Meat List
Each serving of meat and substitutes on this list contains about seven grams of protein. The amount of fat and number of calories vary, depending on what kind of meat or substitute is chosen. The list is divided into four parts, based on the amount of fat and calories: very lean meat, lean meat, medium-fat meat, and high-fat meat. One ounce (one meat exchange) of each of these includes the following nutrient amounts:
Meat |
Carbohydrate (grams) |
Protein (grams) |
Fat (grams) |
Calories |
| Very lean | 0 | 7 | 0-1 | 35 |
| Lean | 0 | 7 | 3 | 55 |
| Medium-fat | 0 | 7 | 5 | 100 |
| High-fat | 0 | 7 | 8 | 100 |
You are encouraged to use more lean and medium-fat meat, poultry, and fish in your meal plan. This will help you to decrease your fat intake, which may help decrease your risk for heart disease. The items from the high-fat group are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. You should limit your choices from the high-fat group to three times per week. Meat and substitutes do not contribute any fiber to your meal plan. Meats and meat substitutes that have 400 milligrams or more of sodium per exchange are indicated with the symbol ‡.
Tips
- Bake, roast, broil, grill, or boil these foods rather than frying them with added fat.
- Use a nonstick pan spray or a nonstick pan to brown or fry these foods.
- Trim off visible fat before and after cooking.
- Do not add flour, bread crumbs, coating mixes, or fat to these foods when preparing them.
- Weigh meat after removing bones and fat and again after cooking. Three ounces of cooked meat are equal to about four ounces of raw meat. Some examples of meat portions are: 2 ounces meat (2 meat exchanges) = 1 small chicken leg or thigh, 1/2 cup cottage cheese or tuna; 3 ounces meat (3 meat exchanges) = 1 medium pork chop, 1 small hamburger, 1/2 of a whole chicken breast, 1 unbreaded fish fillet, cooked meat, about the size of a deck of cards.
- Restaurants usually serve prime cuts of meat, which are high in fat and calories.
Lean Meat and Substitutes One exchange is equal to any one of the following items: |
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| Beef | USDA Good or Choice grades of lean beef, such as round, sirloin, and flank steak; tenderloin; and chipped beef‡ | 1 oz |
| Pork | Lean pork, such as fresh ham; canned, cured, or boiled ham‡, Canadian bacon‡, tenderloin | 1 oz |
| Veal | All cuts are lean except for veal cutlets (ground or cubed) | 1 oz |
| Poultry | Chicken, turkey, Cornish hen (without skin) | 1 oz |
| Fish | All fresh and frozen fish | 1 oz |
| Crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, clams (fresh or canned in water‡) | 2 oz | |
| Oysters | 6 med | |
| Tuna‡ (canned in water) | 1/4 cup | |
| Herring (uncreamed or smoked) | 1 oz | |
| Sardines (canned) | 2 med | |
| Wild Game | Venison, rabbit, squirrel | 1 oz |
| Pheasant, duck, goose (without skin) | 1 oz | |
| Cheese | Any cottage cheese | 1/4 cup |
| Grated parmesan | 2 tbsp | |
| Diet cheese‡ (with fewer than 55 calories per ounce) | 1 oz | |
| Other | 95% fat-free luncheon meat | 1 oz |
| Egg whites | 3 | |
| Egg substitutes (with fewer than 55 calories per 1/4 cup) | 1/4 cup | |
Medium-Fat and Meat Substitutes One exchange is equal to any one of the following items: |
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| Beef | Most beef products fall into this category. Examples are: all ground beef, roast (rib, chuck, rump), steak (cubed, Porterhouse, T-bone), and meat loaf. | 1 oz |
| Pork | Most pork products fall into this category. (Examples: chops, loin roast, Boston butt, cutlets) | 1 oz |
| Lamb | Most lamb products fall into this category (examples: chops, leg, roast) | 1 oz |
| Veal | Cutlet (ground or cubed, unbreaded) | 1 oz |
| Poultry | Chicken (with skin), domestic duck or goose (well drained of fat), ground turkey | 1 oz |
| Fish | Tuna‡ (canned in oil and drained) | 1/4 cup |
| Salmon‡ (canned) | 1/4 cup | |
| Cheese | Skim or part-skim milk cheeses, such as: | |
| Ricotta | 1/4 cup | |
| Mozzarella | 1 oz | |
| Diet cheeses‡ (with 56-80 calories per ounce) | 1 oz | |
| Other | 86% fat-free luncheon meat‡ | 1 oz |
| Egg (high in cholesterol, so limit to 3 per week) | 1 | |
| Egg substitutes (with 56-80 calories per 1/4 cup) | 1/4 cup | |
| Tofu (2 1/2 in. x 2 3/4 in. x 1 in.) | 4 oz | |
| Liver, heart, kidney, sweetbreads (high in cholesterol) | 1 oz | |
High-Fat Meat and Substitutes Remember, these items are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories, and should be eaten only three times per week. One exchange is equal to any one of the following items: |
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| Beef | Most USDA Prime cuts of beef, such as ribs, corned beef‡ |
1 oz |
| Pork | Spareribs, ground pork, pork sausage‡ (patty or link) | 1 oz |
| Lamb | Patties (ground lamb) | 1 oz |
| Fish | Any fried fish product | 1 oz |
| Cheese | All regular cheese‡, such as American, Blue, Cheddar, Monterey, Swiss | 1 oz |
| Other | Luncheon meat‡, such as bologna, salami, pimiento loaf | 1 oz |
| Sausage‡, such as Polish, Italian 1 oz | ||
| Knockwurst, smoked 1 oz | ||
| Bratwurst‡ 1 oz | ||
| Frankfurter‡ (turkey or chicken) (10/lb) 1 frank | ||
| Peanut butter (contains unsaturated fat) 1 tbsp | ||
Count as one high-fat meat plus one fat exchange: |
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| Frankfurter | (beef, pork, or combination) (400 mg or more of sodium per exchange) | 1 frank |