Red Meat and White Meat
Hong Kong people are very fond of eating chicken. Chicken is always a main dish in a festival feast. In recent years, many health-conscious people are eating less red meat, i.e. beef, pork and mutton but more chicken. Egg, similarly, appears almost in every meal.

Sylvia LAM, a dietitian, said "all meats contain high quality proteins which are better absorbed by the body. They provide the essential amino acids required by our body. Yet on average, an adult needs only 225 gm to 300 gm (6 to 8 taels) of meat a day. Red meat is a very good source of iron and zinc, but it usually contains relatively high fat content in which excessive intake will lead to obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, researches conducted by the American Cancer Research Institute and alike reported that red meat might increase the risk of colon cancer."

Chicken and turkey are considered the healthiest poultry meats because they are white meat in general. Chicken also contains zinc, selenium and Vitamin B complex and has a lower fat composition than duck, goose and pigeon.

Extract from CookSmart, Issue 11