4 Ways to Use Meat in a High Fiber Diet
Beans are a perfect meat substitute. Unlike meat which has no fiber, beans are one of the best fiber foods around. If you want to enjoy meat and a high fiber diet, try meals and dishes that combine the two.
One way to do this is to choose classic recipes with both meat and beans and do some rearranging. Reduce the amount of meat called for in the recipe and add beans or lentils to make up the difference. Or, simply add more beans than stated. With this approach, you reduce the amount of higher-fat meat and boost the fiber content in each serving.
For example, if a chili recipe calls for roughly two pounds of beef, two pounds tomatoes and two cans of beans, substitute one lb. of beef with one more can of beans. Each serving will jump from about seven to 10g of fiber.
Other dishes to try include ham and bean soup, minestrone soup with meat, and sausage and bean stew. For even more beans per serving, add highly flavored meat like bacon and sausage in very small amounts to a pot of beans. Mexican dishes also work well. Order tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos with extra beans and less meat.
Beans are a perfect meat substitute. Unlike meat which has no fiber, beans are one of the best fiber foods around. If you want to enjoy meat and a high fiber diet, try meals and dishes that combine the two.
One way to do this is to choose classic recipes with both meat and beans and do some rearranging. Reduce the amount of meat called for in the recipe and add beans or lentils to make up the difference. Or, simply add more beans than stated. With this approach, you reduce the amount of higher-fat meat and boost the fiber content in each serving.
For example, if a chili recipe calls for roughly two pounds of beef, two pounds tomatoes and two cans of beans, substitute one lb. of beef with one more can of beans. Each serving will jump from about seven to 10g of fiber.
Other dishes to try include ham and bean soup, minestrone soup with meat, and sausage and bean stew. For even more beans per serving, add highly flavored meat like bacon and sausage in very small amounts to a pot of beans. Mexican dishes also work well. Order tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos with extra beans and less meat.
Related Articles
References
- Red kidney beans, dry, cooked, fat not added in cooking. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2020.
- Lattimer JM, Haub MD. Effects of dietary fiber and its components on metabolic health. Nutrients. 2010;2(12):1266-89. doi:10.3390/nu2121266
- Havard Health Publishing. Glycemic index for 60+ foods. Updated January 6, 2020.
- Abeysekara S, Chilibeck PD, Vatanparast H, Zello GA. A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total and LDL-cholesterol in older adults. Br J Nutr. 2012;108(S1):S103-S110. doi:10.1017/s0007114512000748
- Rebello CJ, Greenway FL, Finley JW. A review of the nutritional value of legumes and their effects on obesity and its related co-morbidities. Obes Rev. 2014;15(5):392-407. doi:10.1111/obr.12144
- Ha V, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ. 2014;186(8):E252-62.doi:10.1503/cmaj.131727
- Sievenpiper JL, Kendall CWC, Esfahani A, et al. Effect of non-oil-seed pulses on glycaemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled experimental trials in people with and without diabetes. Diabetologia. 2009;52(8):1479-95. doi:10.1007/s00125-009-1395-7
- Havenaar R. Intestinal health functions of colonic microbial metabolites: a review. Benef Microbes. 2011;2(2):103-14. doi:10.3920/bm2011.0003
- Kasera R, Singh BP, Lavasa S, Prasad KN, Sahoo RC, Singh AB. Kidney bean: a major sensitizer among legumes in asthma and rhinitis patients from India. PLoS ONE. 2011;6(11):e27193. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027193
- Palmer S. Nutritional anomaly—might antinutrients offer some benefits?. Today's Dietitian. 2011;12(7):54.
- Gupta RK, Gangoliya SS, Singh NK. Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains. J Food Sci Technol. 2015;52(2):676-84. doi:10.1007/s13197-013-0978-y