Is Meat Bad For Us?

I feel like we always end up going to two extremes we have veganuary and then we have meaty march. Im personally in the middle. And I will tell you why. Meat is a good source of protein, B vitamins, iron, selenium and zinc. Iron obtained from meat is better absorbed by the body than iron from plant-based sources and almost half of girls and almost a third of women in the UK have low iron intakes.However, some meats/meat products can be high in saturated fat and saltwhich we should eat less of, and evidence suggests that high consumption of red and/or processed meat is linked with an increased risk of bowel cancer. In the UK the recommendation is to eat less than 500 g/week of meat (cooked weight).  Reducing intakes to this level and taking steps to choose lean meats or a leaner cuts is recommended in UK government healthy eating guidelines; cutting it out completely is not.Conclusion  Whilst people decide to go meat-free for many different reasons and balanced vegan or vegetarian diets can be a  healthy choice, when it comes to nutrition and health, an ‘all or nothing’ approach to meat isn’t required. Just ensure you choose your meat wisely, and balance your diet towards plant based eating: incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrain or higher fibre starchy carbohydrates and plant-based proteins such as beans, pulses.