The Healthiest Cuts of Pork

It was always true before but thanks to a global pandemic, prioritising our health is more important than ever. Feeding your body the right things combined with exercise among other recommendations has been brought to the fore and this includes how we consume meat, pork products fitting into this category. If you’re health-conscious and want to choose pork with as little fat as possible, these are the healthiest cuts you should be including in your diet. 

A breakdown of pork cuts and their role in your health

When it comes to considering pork as part of your healthy diet, the cut you choose matters in what you’re trying to achieve and deliver to your body. If you’re wondering what cut of pork is the healthiest, you can consider the following: 

• The pork belly to balance your cholesterol. Unfortunately, this excludes the delicious, crunchy crackling we’ve all come to love in pork belly roasts. The meat underneath this is what will keep your arteries from becoming laced with unhealthy, saturated fats.
• The kidney to safeguard reproductive health. This may seem strange but the pig kidney offers more than your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of selenium for developing strong sperm in men. 
• The pork fillet for weight loss. This part of the pig has a lower fat percentage than a skinless chicken breast. 
• Bacon to promote bone strength. We don’t advise abusing this advice as cured meats are extremely high in salt and have been linked with bowel cancer, but bacon for breakfast once a week will give your body a whack of phosphorus to keep those bones healthy and strong. 

Rules of thumb when it comes to healthy cuts of pork

The leanest cut from any four-legged animal almost always comes from the loin, so we advise looking for cuts like sirloin or tenderloin. The leanest cuts are mostly loin chops, tenderloin, and sirloin roasts. These healthy cuts have less than 10g of fat and only around 4.5g of saturated fat. Anything from the shoulder or the belly automatically includes more fat. Additionally, consider whether the pork has been cured or not — smoked pork is normally your best bet as it contains less salt and fat. If you’re conscious of the environmental impact of your pork and meat products, always choose local! And, as usual, always go for high-quality products for the sake of your long-term health. 

As it is with most aspects of life and living as healthily as we can, it’s all about balance. There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a delicious ham sandwich every now and then or sharing a scrumptious fry-up breakfast with a few pieces of bacon with your family on a Sunday — you’ll only be creating problems for yourself if you overdo it and create bad habits that are hard to break. If you’re looking for the best pork product that fits your diet and lifestyle, our team will happily lead you in the right direction. Get in touch!