Is red meat healthy?

Red meat or white meat has been a debate for years.  Essentially speaking, if you are not a vegetarian of any sort, red meat is actually healthy for you. 

The World Cancer Research Fund found that keeping red meat at 500g/week is optimal for health.  That means 5-6 medium portions of some sort of red meat (pork, beef, etc).  That seems like a lot; however, if you choose lean cuts of meat and stick with organic, grass-fed beef, you will keep the fat levels where they need to be for optimal performance and health. 

Also, a Runner's World article came out in April 2012 touting the benefits of red meat for runners and how it helps their performance to include red meats in their diet.  Runner's who included red meat as a regular part of their diet had better endurance and shorter recovery times.

Whether you choose to eat meat or not, it is important to be sure you are getting the proper amounts of protein in your diet.  If you are a vegetarian, be sure to look for complementary proteins as soy is the only complete protein available to you.  Also, if you are a vegetarian athlete, you may need to speak with a sports nutritionist on which supplements would help your performance but still keep within your lifestyle.

References:

http://www.wcrf.org/cancer_research/expert_report/recommendations.php
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-300--14241-0,00.html