As you go about your diet and aim to meet your protein requirements, there’s no question that there’s going to come a time when you’re looking for an alternative to chicken or beef. In those cases, pork may just be an option to consider.
But what are the nutritional stats for pork? Is this protein sources as healthy as the other options? Let’s take a quick look at what you should know before cooking up some pork for tonight’s dinner.
Major Nutrients Found In Pork
As you can see from the nutritional table above, pork is a higher fat and calorie option than lean chicken breast or white fish. Still though, as long as you choose lean pork chops rather than the fattier varieties of pork (such as bacon), it can still be a part of an otherwise healthy diet plan.
Pork is also very low in sodium content which is great for those who are watching their blood pressure, and is a source of Zinc, Thiamin, as well as Selenium.
Storing/Selecting
When selecting pork you want to look for cuts that have the least visible fat as possible. This will reduce the amount of prep work necessary to prepare it to eat and ensure that you are getting a leaner source of protein.
Pork can be kept for a few days in the fridge if you aren’t planning to eat it right away, however be sure to store it towards the back of the fridge where the lower temperature is maintained.
If you don’t plan on eating it within 3-4 days, then you would be best to package it up and freeze it instead, taking it out at a later date when you do plan on consuming it.
Eat It With:
Pork can be served in a number of ways from grilled on the BBQ or placed in the slow-cooker if you’re looking for a very tender and juice cut of meat. Many people choose to eat pork with some mashed or baked potatoes alongside a vegetable of choice, however you can serve it up with any other dish if you prefer.
Burn Off Calories In A Pork Chop
To burn off the number of calories in a pork chop you would have to do:
- 20 minutes of squash
- 23 minutes of swimming (breaststroke)
- 29 minutes of hiking