Today's Tip: Does Your Diet Have Any Fat Traps?

There is a LOT of information out there about what you should and shouldn't include in your diet.  Much of that information is great and you can use it as you make food choices for you and your family.  However, I have identified four "fat traps" that I wanted to explore further over the next few days to help you in your fitness journey.

FAT TRAP #1: Picking poultry instead of beef

One of my pet peeves!!  True, turkey breast is about as lean as it gets…BUT ground turkey often contains dark meat and skin, which edges up the calorie count.  A 4-oz serving of ground turkey packs 204 calories and 14 grams of fat, while the same amount of lean ground beef contains just 155 calories and 6 grams of fat - and beef contains more iron and potassium than ground turkey.

The Fix

Whether you are buying beef or turkey, look for labels that say the meat is at least 90% lean.  Another lean tip?  After you cook ground beef (no matter what percent lean), be sure to rinse it after cooking.  Draining it on a paper towel-lined plate is a good plan, but even better is to give it a quick rinse. Pour the cooked meat into a strainer and after it drains into a bowl (because you don’t want to put all that grease down your drain), rinse it with hot water.  These steps will remove more than half the fat. 

For beef patties, use 96% lean ground beef and season well with your favorite spices.  You can also mix some natural BBQ sauce into your ground beef mixture to give it a little more moisture.  And don’t smash the patties on the grill with your spatula!  Just let them cook.