Lamb 101: An Overview for Nutrition

ProfessionalsJanuary 2008

Lamb: Lean and Nutrient-Dense

• Lamb is Lean

• Lamb is Nutrient-Dense

Nutrients From Lamb: An Overview

Nutrients From Lamb: An Overview

2005 Dietary Guidelines: How Lamb Fits

• Recommendations for total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol

2005 Dietary Guidelines: How Lamb Fits

Recommendation for the “meat and beans” group • Daily consumption of 5.5 ounce equivalents from the meat and beans group for a 2,000 calorie diet

1 ounce-equivalent is: 1 ounce of cooked lean meats, poultry, fish 1 egg 1/4 cup dry beans or tofu, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/2 oz nuts or seeds

Lamb Throughout the Life Cycle: Pregnancy

• Lamb contributes protein, iron, and zinc, nutrients with increased requirements during pregnancy

Lamb Throughout the Life Cycle: Meeting Iron Needs

• Iron deficiency*, is an abnormal value for at least two of three laboratory indicators of iron status: serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin

• Iron deficiency anemia occurs when iron deficiency is severe enough to reduce hemoglobin levels below normal. Groups with highest prevalence of iron deficiency include:**

• Toddlers (1-2 years of age)• Females (12-49 years of age)• Non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American females• Non-Hispanic white females

• Iron deficiency anemia occurs in 1% to 4% of the U.S. population

• Decreased cognitive performance often accompanies iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia***

*As defined by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)**NHANES 1999-2000***Murray-Kolb LE, Beard JL. Iron treatment normalizes cognitive functioning in young women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007; 85:778-787.

Lamb Throughout the Life Cycle: Meeting Iron Needs

• A 3-ounce serving of lamb can help meet iron needs throughout the lifecycle

Lamb throughout the Life Cycle: Older Adults

• Calorie and nutrient intake usually decline with age

• Lamb contributes iron, zinc, and B vitamins, nutrients often under consumed by older adults

Audiences With Special Health Concerns: Heart Disease

• Lamb fits within the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol

Audiences With Special Health Concerns: Cancer

Audiences With Special Health Concerns: Obesity

• 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese

• Overweight and obesity are a major concern throughout the life cycle

• Protein has a high satiety value, thus reducing the likelihood of overindulgence

• Studies indicate that children who consume family meals at home generally have a more nutritious diet and are less likely to become overweight (Nicklas, 2004; Gable, 2007)

• Lamb offers a satiating, nutrient-rich, versatile, and convenient food to incorporate into a variety of approaches to weight management

Nicklas T, Johnson R for the American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: dietary guidance for healthy children ages 2 to 11 years. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004; 104:660-677.

Gable S, Chang Y, Krull JL. Television watching and frequency of family meals are predictive of overweight onset and persistence in a national sample of school-aged children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:53-61.

Healthful Preparation of Lamb

Trimming• Most lamb is trimmed to 1/4 or 1/8 inches of exterior fat• This remaining exterior fat can be easily trimmed before or after cooking

Cooking Method• Dry heat cooking (grilling, rotisserie, broiling, roasting) allows fat to drip from the meat, thus reducing total fat• Moist heat cooking (braising, stewing) allows fat to float to the top for easy skimming• Cooking that results in charring or exposes meat to smoke caused from fat dripping onto charcoal is not recommended as these result in the formation of carcinogens (heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

Registered Dietitians’Perceptions of Lamb*

• 91% of dietitians agree that lamb is nutrient-dense

• 58% of dietitians agree that lamb is lean

• 40% of dietitians believe that lamb is high in fat

• 15% of dietitians believe that lamb is high in saturated fat

• Only 1/4 of registered dietitians sometimes or regularly recommend that people include lamb in their diet

*Registered Dietitians’ Perceptions of Lamb, 2007. Report funded by the Tri-Lamb group.

Summary

• Lamb can fit into healthy diets as a food that is lean, nutrient-rich, and satiating

• Lamb provides many nutrients that are important throughout the lifecycle

• On average, a 3-ounce cooked portion of lamb contains: > 175 calories > 8 grams of total fat > 3 grams of saturated fat > 80 mg cholesterol

• Lamb easily fits into recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans & the American Heart Association

• Lamb adds delicious flavor to balanced diets rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

Contact Information

For more information visit us online at:

www.leanonlamb.com Be sure to download a copy of our white paper, Lamb: Its Place in the U.S. Diet, authored by Dr. Joan Carson, PhD, RD, of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Clinical Nutrition.