are pork chops healthy?

[huberm]

i'm on a diet and couldn't resist having an 8oz pork chop today, cooked on the george forman. It was so good I want more. Are pork chops healthy enough I can incorporate it into my diet say, once every week or two?

 

[SpunkyJones]

You can incorporate any thing into your diet as long as you use portion control, common sense, and exercise regularly.

 

[Special K]

Did you check the nutrition label? Sometimes meats aren't labeled. If they aren't, you can look up the nutrition info here:

fitday

or here:

calorie king

Really, if you are trying to lose fat, it's best to start tracking exactly how many calories you are eating each day, rather than trying to guess. From there you can figure out your maintenance level of calories - the amount of calories you would need to consume in a day to exactly maintain your current weight. Once you know that, you can start reducing your calories gradually to lose fat at a nice, controlled pace. Of course, the content of what you eat is also important.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Lean Pork chops have about as much fat as grilled chicken. Pork is rather healthy these days.

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
Pork is rather healthy these days.

Why these days? What has changed?

I know more farmers feed their pigs leftovers from restaurants as an alternative. But we've alaways had high protein feed recommended when raising them for eating.

 

[sjetexas]

Pork is pretty healthy...just trim any visible fat. I think it was considered unhealthy in the past since it was usually fried in oil...these days most people probably grill it.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
You can incorporate any thing into your diet as long as you use portion control, common sense, and exercise regularly.

This.

 

[polarmystery]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
You can incorporate any thing into your diet as long as you use portion control, common sense, and exercise regularly.

Best response....ever.

 

[biggestmuff]

Did you smother it with a can of cream of mushroom soup?

 

[MegaVovaN]

Originally posted by: eaj0010

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
You can incorporate any thing into your diet as long as you use portion control, common sense, and exercise regularly.

Best response....ever.

qft

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: sjetexas
Pork is pretty healthy...just trim any visible fat. I think it was considered unhealthy in the past since it was usually fried in oil...these days most people probably grill it.

But thats the best goddamn part!

Skin on Pork Chops > Fatty Pork Chops > Lean Pork Chops

 

[Mr Pickles]

posts like this give me no hope for our future.

 

[sandorski]

I like fat Pork steak. Just plain tasty, but not something you'll want to eat a lot of.

 

[ebaycj]

use pork tenderloin instead.

 

[HannibalX]

You guys should watch the Good Eats episode about pork chops. Alton Brown basically outlines the differences between say a 16th century pig and a 21st century big. Very informative.

To make a long story short, modern pork is very lean and very healthy. Eat it like all other foods, in moderation. I really don't care much for chicken so I eat pork instead.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
You guys should watch the Good Eats episode about pork chops. Alton Brown basically outlines the differences between say a 16th century pig and a 21st century big. Very informative.

To make a long story short, modern pork is very lean and very healthy. Eat it like all other foods, in moderation. I really don't care much for chicken so I eat pork instead.

I came in here to mention that episode.

I was actually at a seminar on this subject a while back and it also explained why you can eat your pork slightly pink now, as opposed to years ago when you had to cook the shit out of it. The entire pork industry apparently went through an overhaul several years back in an attempt to improve it's image, so we ended up with much healthier meat.

KT

 

[ballmode]

Alton Brown is awesome

 

[Capt Caveman]

The other white meat!

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: ballmode
Alton Brown is awesome

Indeed. :thumbsup:

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
You can incorporate any thing into your diet as long as you use portion control, common sense, and exercise regularly.

smoking, along with a healthy diet and exercise, can help you live a long and happy life

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
You can incorporate any thing into your diet as long as you use portion control, common sense, and exercise regularly.

smoking, along with a healthy diet and exercise, can help you live a long and happy life

QFMFT :beer:

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
Pork is rather healthy these days.

Why these days? What has changed?

I know more farmers feed their pigs leftovers from restaurants as an alternative. But we've alaways had high protein feed recommended when raising them for eating.

Pigs used to be much more fatty.
They have been bred to be leaner and more muscular for decades.

Pigs from today are much leaner than pigs from the 1930s. They have a much thinner layer of back fat and the meat is much leaner overall.


I watched "History of the Pig" on the History Channel. It made me hungry!

 

[sonambulo]

Originally posted by: ebaycj
use pork tenderloin instead.

This is the right answer. Frying it for tonkatsu, although delicious, will completely negate this.

 

[rezinn]

Put down the fork, fatty.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
You guys should watch the Good Eats episode about pork chops. Alton Brown basically outlines the differences between say a 16th century pig and a 21st century big. Very informative.

To make a long story short, modern pork is very lean and very healthy. Eat it like all other foods, in moderation. I really don't care much for chicken so I eat pork instead.

I came in here to mention that episode.

I was actually at a seminar on this subject a while back and it also explained why you can eat your pork slightly pink now, as opposed to years ago when you had to cook the shit out of it. The entire pork industry apparently went through an overhaul several years back in an attempt to improve it's image, so we ended up with much healthier meat.

KT

Yup. I actually order my pork medium rare at some restaurants, to be quite honest. It just tastes better that way. Usually they'll suggest a higher temperature, but if you explain that you're not worried, they'll usually do it. Pork is pretty safe these days.

To answer the OP's question, yeah a pork chop isn't going to kill you. Portion control is important, though, and be careful about what's in the sauces you put on it. An 8oz chop balanced out with some lightly sauteed spinach or steamed broccoli w/ lemon is probably a decent meal for you, even if you cheat a little and bake the chop with some brown sugar or bbq sauce on it.

My guideline has been to eat whatever I want from the perimeter of the supermarket plus canned veggies (the uncooked kind without sauces in there), and control portions accordingly. I've lost weight slowly from week to week, and I sure as hell haven't put any on from doing that.