Meat/Protein Group

Meat, Seafood, Eggs

Nutrition• Excellent source of complete proteins

• B vitamins, phosphorus, iron, zinc

• Fatty fish are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids– Salmon, tuna

• Need 5-6 oz from the protein group each day– 1 egg is considered 1oz

Fat and Cholesterol• Animal foods contain cholesterol• Organ meats contain more cholesterol• Most fish and breast meat is low in fat• Lean- less than 10g fat in a 3 ½ oz serving

– Must also have less than 4g saturated fat– Less than 95 mg cholesterol

Types of Fat• Meat and poultry contain invisible and visible fat

– Invisible- part of the chemical composition of food

– Visible- surrounds lean muscle portion of cut• Marbling- small white flecks of fat within meat• Most fat in poultry is located in the skin

Marbling

Connective Tissue• Collagen- thin, white, transparent, and

softens when cooked

• Elastin- very tough, yellowish, cannot be softened by cooking

• Fat content affects tenderness:– More marbling = more tender– Fat = flavor, keeps juicy as it cooks

Types of Meat• Beef

• Veal

• Lamb

• Pork

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Ducks and Geese

Processed Meats• 35% of meat produced in US is processed

– Processed for flavors– Ham, sausage, bacon, sausage, cold cuts

• Most common processing method is curing– Placing meat in mixture of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate,

potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid, water– Nitrates- preservatives, prevent growth of bacteria

(food borne illness)– Meat is soaked in solution or solution pumped into

meat

• High in sodium

Types of Fish and Shellfish• Fish- fins, bony skeleton with backbone

• Shellfish- have shell, no fins or bones

Crustaceans- long bodies with jointed limbs covered with a shell

• Crabs • Lobsters

• Shrimp

Mollusks- soft bodies that are covered by at least one shell

• Clams

• Mussels

• Oysters

• Scallops

• Squid

Cooking• Color:

– Beef: dark red turns to dark brown– Pork and white meat: pink turns to white

• Fish:– Flakes with a fork (separates)– Shrimp turn pink

Egg Basics

Everything you ever wanted to know about eggs!

Structure of the Egg

• Egg shell- lined with several membranes• Air pocket- between the membranes and the

shell at the wide end; grows with age• Albumen- thick clear fluid known as the egg

white• Yolk- round, yellow portion that floats within the

albumen• Chalazae- anchors the yolk in the center of the

egg– Twisted cordlike strands of albumen

Nutrients in Eggs

• Excellent source:– protein, riboflavin, iodine

• Good source:– vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin D, iron

• Egg yolks contain saturated fat and cholesterol

Eggs Cooked in the Shell

• Place a single layer in a saucepan• Add water to at least 1 inch above the eggs• Cover the saucepan and bring the water just to boiling• Turn off heat and remove pan from heat, let stand in the

hot water for 15 minutes• Run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking

process• To remove the shell, gently tap the shell all over, roll egg

between your hands, peel shell starting at the large end

Fried Eggs

• Fry in a small amount of fat or in a nonstick skillet that is coated with cooking spray

• Heat skillet on medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles

• Break an egg into a custard cup and slide into the pan (or break right into pan)

• Reduce heat to low• Turn over to cook the other side

Baked Eggs

• Break into small bowl or directly into shallow baking dish, top with small amount of milk (optional)

• Place in preheated 325˚F oven, bake 12 minutes for 2 eggs

Poached Eggs

• Bring water to simmer

• Break egg into a small dish

• Hold the dish close to the surface of the water and slip the egg in

• Simmer about 5 minutes

• Use a slotted spoon to lift the egg out of the water and drain

Scrambled Eggs

• Beat eggs together with water or milk– Use 1 tbsp liquid for each egg

• Melt small amount of butter or cooking spray in a skillet

• Pour egg mixture into hot skillet• As the mixture thickens, draw the spatula across

the bottom and sides of the pan– Continue until the eggs are thickened and no liquid

remains• Stirring the eggs constantly will cause them to

be mushy

Basic Omelet

• Made with beaten eggs

• Cook without stirring the eggs, it will be shaped like a large pancake

• Occasionally lift the edge of the omelet to allow uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan

• When omelet is almost done, add a filling, fold in half to serve