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Over 67% of Poles believe that pork is tasty, but only 30% [1] consider it he althy. We asked a dietitian, Dorota Osóbka, a graduate of the Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumption at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, why it is worth reaching for Polish pork more often.
Pork meat, next to poultry, is the most popular and consumed meat in our country. As much as 55% of the meat that Poles regularly buy and eat is pork[2] . This is probably due to the fact that Poland has a long tradition of pork and processed pork production, and our cuisine is full of recipes using different parts of pork. We talk to Dorota Osóbka, a dietitian and expert in the fourth edition of the campaign "Polish Meat Brand. Poland Tastes Good. "
In your work as a nutritionist, do you often encounter myths about pork?
Dietitian: Yes, there is still an opinion that pork is fatty and much more caloric than other types of meat. And that was true even 20-30 years ago, but since then a lot has changed in the production of pork in our country. The selection and breeding work used by Polish breeders over the past decades has meant that pork, which is now on our tables, contains much less fat than it used to be, and at the same time is characterized by a higher protein content.
Fat is the most caloric component of the diet, so along with the decrease in its content in pork, its caloric content has also decreased. And it is important. It is worth following the data on the composition of pork published by the Food and Nutrition Institute in the "Tables of the nutritional value of food products and dishes", amended in 2022. For example: 100 g of pork neck now contains only 205 kcal, and until recently it was 267 kcal. Currently, boneless pork bacon is also much lower in calories - it used to be 510 kcal, and now only 326 kcal.
Does this mean that even people on a diet can include pork in their diet?
Dietitian: Unfortunately, overweight and obesity are currently a huge problem - more than half of Poles have BMI above the norm andlosing weight is a big challenge for many people. One of the most important aspects that we must pay attention to while losing weight is the negative energy balance. Put simply - to lose weight, we need to provide the body with less energy than we spend each day. But diets that are too restrictive, unpalatable, and forcing you to exclude your favorite foods tend to fail in the long run. A varied diet, which also includes your favorite products and dishes, brings much better results. For many people, it will be, for example, pork, which we do not have to exclude when losing weight. However, it is important that we choose the thinnest types of it.
Although there is a widespread belief that the only meat allowed during weight loss is lean poultry, lean pork fragments can also compete with it successfully - I mean, in particular, boneless loin (129 kcal / 100 g) and meat from pork ham (128 kcal / 100 g). In both cases, the calorific value is only 30 kcal per 100 g higher than that of skinless chicken breast (98 kcal / 100 g) and almost the same as for skinless chicken thigh meat (125 kcal / 100 g). However, it is very important not only what meat we choose, but also how we prepare it for consumption. It is best to eat meat that you buy unprocessed and prepare it yourself. Avoid fatty sauces, coatings and deep-frying. Choose cooking, steaming, stewing and baking at lower temperatures (preferably below 180 ° C) as often as possible. slimming.
What ingredients are valuable for he alth in pork?
Pork has a high nutritional value. It contains a lot of wholesome protein with a favorable amino acid composition, eg in pork ham, its content is almost 22% [2]. Pork meat, in particular liver and neck, also contains a lot of heme iron, which our body absorbs several times better than iron from plant products. Pork is also a good source of many valuable minerals, including zinc, potassium, phosphorus and selenium. Some of my patients still find it surprising that pork is also an excellent source of vitamins.
Yes? And which ones?
In pork we find a number of B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12), without which our body, especially the nervous system, cannot properlyfunction. Their low level in the body may be manifested, among others, by deterioration of mood, irritability, weakness and excessive fatigue, as well as problems with memory and concentration. Particularly noteworthy is vitamin B1 (Thiamin) present in pork - essential in energy transformations. Without its proper concentration, the conversion of carbohydrates into energy necessary for the proper functioning of the muscles and the nervous system would not be possible. In turn, vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is essential for the production of hemoglobin, and vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) is important in the process of creating red blood cells that supply oxygen to every cell of the body. It is worth mentioning that vitamin B12 in its natural form is found only in animal products, and pork is a very good source of it. In offal and fat pieces of pork, we can also find fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Thank you for the interview.
For recipes for Polish pork dishes by Gai and Jakub Kuroń, visit the campaign website:pewjestjedno.pl
Financed by the Poultry Meat Promotion Fund and the Pork Meat Promotion Fund.
