All meats provide nearly perfect protein – only egg white is a more perfect source of the essential amino acids. Meat also is a good source of some B vitamins and minerals such as zinc. But meats can also provide saturated fat, cholesterol, and varying amounts of sodium. Scores in this category range from 53 to 24. They tend to vary based on the content of saturated fat and sodium in particular; when these are more concentrated in a product, the NuVal™ Score will tend to be lower. Processed meats with added sodium will also tend to score lower. The saturated fat content of poultry varies between white and dark meat (white meat tends to have less), and whether it is skinless or not (the skin is very fatty). Remember that while lean meat may be a very important part of a balanced diet, it will never score as high as most vegetables. That is because the NuVal System measures the ratio of nutrients to calories, and meats are generally a much more concentrated source of calories than fresh produce. So don’t look for a NuVal Score of 100 in this category; instead, just compare meat Scores to one another to find the items that are the most nutritious in this category. Next   Previous   Back to Categories

Product	Score
Turkey Breast (skinless)	48
Chicken Breast (boneless)	39
Pork Tenderloin	35
Bottom Round Roast (Beef)	34
Flank Steak (Beef)	34
Turkey Breast	31
Veal Chop	31
Veal Leg Cutlet	31
Beef Tenderloin	30
Chicken Drumstick	30
Ground Sirloin (Beef – 90/10)	30
Pork Chop (boneless center cut)	28
Chicken Wings	28
Ground Round (Beef - 85/15)	28
Lamb Chops (loin)	28
Leg of Lamb	28
Ham (whole)	27
Ground Chuck (Beef – 80/20)	26
Pork Ribs, Country Style	25
Beef Spareribs	24
Pork Baby Back Ribs	24