Would this be OK to eat every 2 weeks for my husband? He has atherosclerosis, and had 2 stents fitted.
5% beef mince?! : Would this be OK to... - British Heart Fou...
5% beef mince?!
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Cherrybubble
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MichaelJHHeart Star
This is the type of question where there is no right answer and probably no agreement.
In my view the answer is yes if his cholesterol is in range. Brown in a non-stick pan and maybe bulk up.with diced carrots and beans. Enjoy! 😀
Ok thanks for that
Probably, to make mince healthier I grate carrot and courgette in.
Great idea
Hi
I can only say what I do as cook for the family so have to all eat the same
I use 5% fat mince to make shepherds pie ,chillie and Spag bol
I add diced veg to it for shepherds pie
Chillie I add the usual tomatoes ,onions ,kidney beans and peppers but I add more and then put in celery and sometimes other pulses.
Spag bol
The same loads of mushrooms ,tomatoes ,carrots ,tomatoes and celery
This way makes loads for freezer and more healthy
Another good way to bulk up minced beef is to put in some porridge oats, makes mince go twice as far. Been doing it for years and no one has noticed!
J
Wow never heard of that but love that idea
I use oatmeal to thicken the gravy in mince.
Not heard that before good idea!
Wow ❤
It all depends on what else he is eating.
He has a good diet just wondered if we had to totally cut out red meat altogether or could get away with low fat version
Unless your husband has been told to cut it out altogether why not have it if he enjoys it, my husbands nurse always says everything in moderation. My husband had a massive heart attack in1997, we've followed the BHF recommended diet since. Why not ask your husbands medical team or the BHF nurses for advice.
Yes will do thank you.
I think a little like that will be okay, if like me he is on statins that hits your cholesterol with a hammer. Mine is way to low for comfort now.
I had a burger a few months ago and didn't enjoy it after being vegan-ish for a few months.
Had some pancakes/maple syrup and icecream this afternoon, my first rael indulgence since my HA 7 months ago, wish I hadn't now, hope I don't pay later.
...no, I think 5% beef is a good idea, provided he likes it.
Someone on this forum said "forget about your HA, get on with you life" I think there is some befenit from that optimism. Optimism is your best friend.
When I hear the term "low fat" it makes me shudder, it is one of the main routes to the world obesity we see today. My ex-wife used to buy low fat everything ands just got fatter and fatter and she was always eating. 20% less fat, but eat twice as much for satisfaction. I on the other hand refused low fat foods and my weight gain was modest and only that dues to a lack of exercise.
Mince, although it looks lean usually has a bit of fat in it which IMO is good, especially if the rest of his food is healthy.
It is very important that we enjoy our food, if not it leads to depression and that is very detrimental to our health.
Check out the BHF recipes, we use then a lot bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...
Thanks that’s helpful will do
I always buy the 5% mince whether it be pork or beef, I follow slimming world and its syn free. I had a spontaneous coronary artery dissection in april and I eat this mince at least once a week, healthiest one available.
Ok that’s reassuring thanks
Hi there...why bother with the meat at all?why not use slightly blitzed mushrooms as a meat sub.instead?it's even better than meat!Or even soya mince?my hubby had a Tia.it really scared us,so we went vegan ie.no animal or dairy in our diet.Well,we've both in 2 years got so healthy it's amazing!.he's lost 3.5stones and his bp and cholesterol are perfect.i really feel it's saved our lives.Watch Forks over Knives on YouTube for the health benefits xxx
Will have a look; tried quorn mince it’s just not the same! Meat = flavour!
Mixed mushrooms give the most amazing unctious flavours...and the benefit is they're good for you😊
Orrible stuff this Quorn!
Look at Keto diet.
Err! So you are saying that everything bar fat raises cholesterol that blocks arteries! A truly bizarre claim!
We use Turkey breast mince, which is 2% Fat. I make a version of shepherd's pie with grated carrot, peas and any other veg I can find. We call it gobbler pie. I also use it to make chili, burgers, pasta sauce, etc. I hadn't thought of adding oats, I'll be trying that.
Turkey would be healthier but it won’t taste the same though!
True, but it's just as nice. We are heading for vegetarianism, in a fairly leisurely way. We've stopped eating mammals, still eat birds and fish for now.
Will give it a go then thanks!
We use 2% turkey mince for shepherds pie and spag bol, we add a couple of Knorr beef stock cubes to get that beefy taste. We use Knorr instead of Oxo has it has a lower salt content.
Personally i just don’t fancy red meat after my HT. I’ve not touched it for two years.
Good for you! Trying to drastically reduce it.
Interesting thanks.
Every 2 weeks? Are you vegetarian the rest of the time?
Lots of vegetarian meals in the week, some fish meals and occasional chicken so thought red meat once a fortnight would be ok, just wondered what others thought.
Really, I can't believe that the occasional portion of red meat will suddenly cause anyone to have a heart problem. It's not like part digested chunks of meat suddenly start flowing through our arteries and causing a blockage, surely .......
I would imagine it is the cumulative effect of, say, red meat and/or dairy over a period of years which would be the problem (although I'd be happy to be corrected on this.....!).
Look out for Quorn products to replace your meat intake. You can buy Quorn mince to use in shepherds pies/lasagnes , for example, and they do chunks, sausages, all sorts of meat replacements.
We’ve tried the quorn products and they’re a bit hit and miss but thanks for your suggestions.
I have been doing half and half meat and Quorn mince now and no-one seems to notice. It's true that Quorn alone doesn't taste of beef but then why should it? and if you are not veggie or vegan a normal low salt stock cube will add a bit of flavour. It's scientifically proven that if you try something several times your brain accepts it. Less meat is better for everyone, in fact in France all the schools there have to have 1 vegetarian meal a week as school dinners.
Will try half and half that’s a great idea. My kids aren’t as keen on 100% quorn shepherds pie etc but this could be a good compromise all round.
.....and if you don't tell them it's even better!
Why 5% mince ? You can use higher fat mince and drain it during the cooking process. Alternatively a really healthy way to bulk out meat mince is to add savoury soya protein mince. The Neils yard Whole Foods brand available from Holland and Barrett or a version available from the larger Tesco stores. These work really well and the texture is as if you have used 100% meat mints.
You need to start investigating vegetarian options. You can make lentil based shepherds pie as well as loads of other things. I once had a "scotch egg" where the chef had rendered down mushrooms to make the "meat" outer, it was absolutely fantastic, better than actual sausage meat ones, many of the cheaper of which will have all manner of undesirable things mixed in as the "meat" bit. It's up to you, but for me I have pledged that if anything else happens in the future, I can at least say that I have 100% done my bit to maintain the best possible diet along with exercise etc.
Cherrybubble• in reply to
We do try veggie options, but the kids aren’t as keen and it’s important to me that we all eat the same thing, plus the kids will miss out on red meat benefits if we cut out altogether.
• in reply toCherrybubble
Beef production is a very significant contributor to climate change. A lot of younger people, thankfully, are becoming vegetarian for this reason alone. Your kids might thank you when they are of an age!
Janma123• in reply to
Naturally reared British/Scottish/Welsh beef and lamb do not contribute much to climate change - the grass they graze is a huge carbon sink! It is also low in calories and full of nutrients and flavour! The nutrients in it are in a form that is readily absorbed by the human body.
• in reply toJanma123
They certainly do carbonbrief.org/grass-fed-b...
The land could also be used for much more productive vegetable growing. I know it's hard to stomach, I used to be an avid meat eater, but for the good of my own health and also the environment, I have knocked it on the head. It also makes you feel better when you look them in the eyes!
Sorry to be difficult, but unfortunately grass fed animals have a higher carbon footprint than factory farmed ones. The reason being, herbivores prevent trees growing which would be a much bigger carbon sink. I say this as someone who would never buy factory farmed animal products as they are so cruel. As indeed so are free range farming practice. The main reason why meat is so bad for the environment is the amount of land that it uses. England was once covered in forests. An envirmentalist called Sailesh Rao has some very interesting things to say on this subject. Have you seen the film Cowspiracy---it's very good. A vegan uses 1/18th the land of an omnivorous human and 1/3rd as much as a vegetarian. Check out Sailesh, he is fascinating and has a positive message.
• in reply toCherrybubble
You can get all the protein (and more) you need from beans, pulses, all sorts, it is a fallacy that you must have red meat so there is no need to worry about that side of things.
Cherrybubble• in reply to
Teenage girls are particularly vulnerable to iron deficiency and red meat actually aids the absorption of iron from plant based sources so will stick to combining I think.
A dietian I know always says. Study after study shows no difference in the iron status of vegetarian vegans and meat eaters. Heme iron is suspected to hurt arteries, iron is toxic and the body absorbs less from plants even though more is present We seem to have a problem preventing iron absorption from animal sources hemochromatosis Is I believe the most common genetic disease
For years now I have fried mince off and drained the fat but I don’t cook with mince as much as I used to, as I have got older I tend to eat more fish but mixing mince with Quorn is a great idea and of course lentils another, anything to bulk it out is good. Variety is the spice of life and the old saying a little bit of what you like does you good, comes to mind.
MichaelJHHeart Star
As I predicted there is no right answer or agreement. I have a soya intolerance so soya proteins is out for me. . One issue for me is we hearties try and avoid processed food and Quorn could be classed as one of the most processed!
It’s a minefield!
I'm having homemade burgers tonight made with less than 5% mince & homemade chips sprayed with fry light & cooked in the oven.
I would say go ahead. We need animal protein for eg the iron content.
And Vitamin B12. Calcium is also better absorbed from dairy than tablets! Low fat versions are available.
B12 is a by product of bacteria it does not come from meat. As animal live in sheds and are fed on concentrates and sadly antibiotics they do not have naturally occurring B12. Farmers inject them with it, if you are lucky. Adult mammals are not meant to breast feed, and especially not from another species, and we can not deal with large amounts of calcium, the result is osteoporosis is most common in countries that consume dairy. Only around a third of the world population eat dairy products
I use turkey breast mince from the supermarket which is just as nice 👍🏻
Cherrybubble• in reply to
Turkey seems to a popular alternative so will try it for sure thanks
Hi Cherrybubble.
My hubby and me have 5% mince cottage pie once a month or so. I add chopped allotment veggies and top it with allotment mashed spud!! I figure that with all the 'veg digging up' exercise, we deserve a treat!
We can't have Quorn as we both have quite serious allergic reactions to it.
I'd say go for it! Good luck xxx
You are correct to a degree, and population control is something that will have to be introduced eventually, but it seems it is a fairly unpopular subject, particularly amongst certain religions. Therefore we will have to switch to more productive and less polluting, per acre, plant based food. I don't think some of the "celebrities" help to be honest, having large families.
Please refer to the link below from Helen bhf administrator, regarding extreme lifestyle diets healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...
MichaelJHHeart Star
Whilst there are quite a few YouTube clips about this and various books that make the authors money I have never seen any peer reviewed research or evidence that shows reversal of atherosclerosis. Also if you look human teeth have evolved for a mixed diet (omnivore) but neither for a carnivore (e.g. cat) nor a herbivore (e.g. horse) one.
I have 2 stents - rightly or wrongly still eat red meat occasionally. I have Spag Bol with 5% fat. With the statins, porridge, green stuff daily, nuts and porridge - I have to allow myself some good stuff. I can’t believe that some mince every other week will be critical.
Its OK to eat what you want, but its not OK to not be informed so you can make your own decision.
Diet always produces controversy on here. I steer clear of processed foods and stick to natural (including red meat) as far as possible. That's not to say I don't ever eat things that I wouldn't usually. i.e. my grandaughter (20) is staying for a couple of days and we had pizza last night and will have Indian take away tonight (I won't have the rice). Monday night I will be back to eating fresh, unprocessed food!
I am not really following your argument here but I get the impression you are denying climate change. With the greatest respect, if you cannot see the ever increasing effects around you even now, you are deluding yourself. No, changing things like beef production will not make a dramatic difference to the global problem, but countries such as ours must be seen to "take a lead". This is a global issue and if we do not start to act now, in either large or collectively small ways, our children's children are going to suffer. Personally I believe we are living in a "golden age" to some degree, as if we do not halt the damage we are doing to our planet future generations are going to have a tough time. Personally i Would like to see aviation fuel taxed properly, the ever increasing desire and "right" to air travel is a major contributor that has to be reduced dramatically. If we ignore issues like this our descendants will live to regret it. We can all make a difference!
I agree, they may not, well, won't. But we have to start somewhere, and hopefully set an example. If we all just did something, it would make a massive difference. For instance if we all decided not to fly to go on holiday (maybe just once out of the 3 and 4 some people have) it would make a difference, along with not using plastic wherever possible and not filling the kettle to the brim to make 1 cup of tea, as people do? I realise the developing world has it's part to play, and that is going to be very difficult, but at the end of the day the industrial revolution started here so I think it is incumbent on us to set an example.
Every one should eat what they want, but it should not be controversial to talk about diet, in regards of what is essentially for most people a food born disease. If it was a lung cancer group, I would recommend not smoking, I would also recommend that in this group. I question the motivation of the organisations that do not spell it out as it is, I can not understand them, as I said eat what you like, but let us all be informed, lets not suppress information that could dramatically help people. I know its controversial, but honestly I don't know why. Its such a simple thing, you have complete control of it.
I don't believe it is controversial to talk about diet but I do believe it's controversial to say a particular diet will cure heart disease! As it's been said many times before one size does not fit all, as an example this diet would actually be detrimental to my husbands health. This is why Helen from the BHF admin has asked that we do not recommend diets but advise people to speak to their medical team, I did post the link to you earlier.
Hi. I am interested in your views. What has been recommended for your husband and what do you think is a good diet. I have always been fascinated by nutrition
As you know my husband has followed the BHF/NHS recommended diet for over 20 years having suffered a massive heart attack in 1997. He's doing very well on it so I'm pretty sure we know what we're doing by now. But thank you anyway.
Use turkey mince as I do.
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