Selecting meat and poultry

• Look for lean cuts. Lean cuts of beef include round, chuck, sirloin and tenderloin. Lean pork or lamb includes tenderloin, loin chop and leg.
• Go skinless. The leanest poultry is white meat from the breast with no skin. If you prefer dark meat, be sure to remove the skin before eating.
• Check percentages. When buying ground beef, look for packages with the highest percentage of lean meat — 90% or higher.
• Watch the ground. Ground poultry can have as much fat as ground beef has, or more, because it often includes dark meat and skin. To make the leanest choice, choose ground breast meat, or look for 90% lean ground chicken or turkey.
• Be selective. Choose beef that is labeled "Choice" or "Select" instead of "Prime," which usually has more fat. If you can't resist the higher-fat cuts, use them as an occasional indulgence rather than a regular option.
• Choose fresh. Try to choose fresh over processed meats, which are preserved by smoking, curing, salting and/or with preservatives and chemicals. Limit the frequency and amount of processed meats, such as sausages, deli meats and bacon to 1 ounce no more than a few times a month.