Is it okay to avoid pork and eat fish, duck, and chicken instead?

White meats such as chicken, duck, fish, and seafood are good for health. However, doctors recommend including a small amount of red meat to ensure a diverse diet and sufficient essential nutrients.

Concerned about African swine fever, many families are prioritizing white meat in their daily meals - Photo: Nha Xuan

African swine fever is spreading rapidly in many areas, causing many people to hesitate to eat pork and switch to white meats like chicken, duck, fish, and seafood. But could a "pork-free" diet lead to nutritional deficiencies?

A source of easily digestible lean protein, beneficial for cardiovascular health and weight management.

According to MSc. Dr. Duong Thi Ngoc Lan - Nutrition Counseling Clinic, University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City (facility 3) - African swine fever does not spread to humans, so pork, if properly controlled by veterinary authorities and thoroughly cooked, is still safe to consume.

Nevertheless, concerns have led many people to switch to lean meats such as chicken, duck, fish, and seafood. This is both a way to feel more secure and an opportunity to build a diverse and healthy diet.

Dr. Lan explained that white meat usually refers to poultry such as chicken, duck, and turkey... Fish and seafood are also often grouped together in this category.

The main difference between white meat and red meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) is its lower myoglobin content, resulting in a lighter color and generally less saturated fat. Therefore, white meat is a source of lean, easily digestible protein, posing less of a metabolic burden, and is beneficial for cardiovascular health and weight management.

Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and herring are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help brain development and protect the cardiovascular system.

For children, especially during the complementary feeding stage from 6 to 23 months, animal-based foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and milk play a very important role because they provide iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 – micronutrients that are difficult to replace with plant-based sources.

White fish is tender, easy to chew and swallow, and low in fiber, making it suitable for introducing solids. When choosing fish for children, prioritize those low in mercury, such as salmon, cod, tilapia, and shrimp, which are both safe and nutritious.

Is eating only white meat enough to get all the necessary nutrients?

In response to this question, Dr. Lan stated that, compared to red meat, white meat has fewer calories and cholesterol, contains more lean protein, and is enriched with omega-3s (found in fish), making it good for cardiovascular health and suitable for people who need to control their weight.

However, red meat is a source of heme iron, vitamin B12, and zinc – essential nutrients for red blood cell production, preventing anemia, and boosting immunity. Eating only white meat without supplementing from other sources can lead to long-term iron or vitamin B12 deficiencies, especially in pregnant women and growing children.

Therefore, a balanced diet is diverse: combining white meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, green vegetables, and still maintaining a small amount of lean red meat 1-2 times/week (approximately less than 500g/week).

When choosing and preparing white meat, consumers should buy meat from reputable establishments that have undergone veterinary inspection. Fresh poultry meat is light pink in color, firm, elastic, not slimy, and odorless. Fresh fish has bright, clear eyes, red gills, and firm flesh; shrimp and squid have bright shells and firm flesh.

When preparing food, it must be thoroughly cooked to kill bacteria; avoid eating it raw or undercooked. Methods such as steaming, boiling, and braising help preserve nutrients and prevent the formation of harmful substances. Deep-frying or grilling until charred increases unhealthy fats and harmful compounds, so these should be limited. Ginger, lemongrass, and garlic can be used to remove the fishy smell and make the food easier to digest.

Traditional medicine considers white meat as medicine, balancing yin and yang.

According to Doctor Lan, in traditional medicine, each type of white meat has its own properties and functions: chicken meat is sweet, warm in nature, and nourishes qi and blood; duck meat is sweet, cool in nature, and has the effect of clearing heat, nourishing yin, and detoxifying; fish is mostly neutral in nature, easy to digest, and benefits qi and blood.

Many dishes are medicinal, such as black chicken stewed with Chinese herbs, duck stewed with lotus seeds, and steamed fish with ginger. They are used to nourish the body and support treatment.

Traditional medicine considers food as medicine, advising a varied and moderate diet, choosing foods that suit one's constitution to balance yin and yang and improve health.

"African swine fever is not a direct threat to humans, but the trend towards white meat is an opportunity for each family to build safe, varied, and healthy meals. Combining modern nutritional knowledge with the perspective of traditional medicine, white meat can be a choice that is both delicious and beneficial for long-term health," Dr. Lan concluded.

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XUAN MAI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ne-thit-heo-an-ca-vit-ga-co-du-chat-20250901163853266.htm