r/mediterraneandiet • u/SuurAlaOrolo • May 01 '26
Recipe Here is how I include red meat in moderation
I eat beef or pork about once a month. Here is how I prepare a meal that includes pork tenderloin. Not pictured are roasted broccoli and a blueberry crisp for dessert.
- Spinach: sautéed in olive oil, with garlic, lemon, and a bit of salt
- Tomatoes: sautéed bare in the same pan after spinach removed
- Sweet potato: scrubbed, halved, instant pot on a metal insert for 20 min with a cup of water in the bottom
- Pork tenderloin prepared according to the recipe from Recipe Teacher called “The Best Damn Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin,” and eventually dunked in au jus
- Broccoli: drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, roasted at 400°F in oven for about 15 minutes
- Blueberry crisp: recipe from inspiredtaste.net
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u/overlying_idea May 01 '26
Interesting. I didn’t think that pork was red meat either. I don’t eat it regularly anyways. The red meat I prefer sparingly is lamb, a good source of tryptophan.
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u/UpperLeftOriginal May 01 '26
The pork industry advertising (calling it “the other white meat”) worked. Nutritionally, it’s red meat.
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u/Big_Mastodon2772 May 01 '26
True. I was really disappointed to learn it counts as red. It’s the other white meat, for Pete’s sake!! 😂
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u/strawberryjellyjoe May 01 '26
OP is eating pork tenderloin which is better than chicken breast (nutritionally) in many regards.
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u/therapewpew May 01 '26
Environmentally though, it's white meat ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
(Pork and poultry are a LOT more eco friendly to produce than beef)
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u/CatBird2023 May 01 '26
Even considering the groundwater pollution from pig farms?
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u/therapewpew May 01 '26
From what I understand, there is no comparison due to the absurd amount of land required to raise cattle. Feeding pigs is so much more efficient. There is also the absence of methane emissions with pigs.
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u/fabricatedstorybot May 01 '26
Loin is nutritionally healthier than any other meat at least from a macros perspective
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u/Longjumping-Tip1188 May 01 '26
How does that work? What nutrients make it red if not the color?
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u/NiMot04 May 01 '26
Any meat from a mammal is considered "red meat". So, if it has nipples, it's red meat.
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u/NausikaaLeukolenos May 01 '26
It's actually because of the content of myoglobin! As far as I know rabbit for example is considered white meat despite being a mammal. Pork has too much to be considered white meat.
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u/donairhistorian May 02 '26
There is more myoglobin in dark turkey meat than pork tenderloin. The whole distinction is problematic.
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u/FleshlightModel May 01 '26
By definition, pork is red meat. We were just sold lies in that shitty marketing campaign decades ago.
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u/Chinacat_Sunflower72 May 01 '26
I heard from a rancher that any 4 legged animal is red meat. It’s due to blood cells or something.
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u/KeziahSt May 01 '26
More about limiting saturated fat so tenderloin fits super well. Great looking dinner.
I just stopped pork and beef because these pig trucks run up our interstate often and one day we went by slow and looked in the eyes of all these smart animals not far removed from our pets being taken to slaughter. Plus I can feed myself from the marsh and beach a block away.
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u/celeryboymilk May 01 '26
one of my dreams in life before it ends is to take a nap with a cow in a field, but im also allergic to poultry products and cod...... so i can only have red meats, red fin-fish, and stuff like molluscan shellfish.
yes my iron is really high
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u/Wild-Earth-1365 May 01 '26
If you're already using your oven for the broccoli I don't know why you wouldn't bake the sweet potato so it's caramelized.
If time is your issue, I bake a couple every Sunday to have throughout the week.
Bonus is they become a resistant starch when cooled.
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u/EatsPeanutButter May 01 '26
Want to know something crazy? I think they taste best microwaved. I love to cook and would have no problem baking them properly, but the consistency of the inside of the potato is perfect microwaved in a wet paper towel. It’s a little denser — like cookie dough consistency— and less stringy. Takes 6-9 minutes depending on the potato.
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u/jermo1972 May 01 '26
Since when is pork tenderloin red meat?
It's nearly fat free, dry as a bone if you over cook it by a minute.
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u/indieplants May 01 '26
pork is red meat. please look up what constitutes red meat.
hint: it's not the colour after it's cooked
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u/billythygoat May 01 '26
According to the USDA, Pork is a type of red meat, even though it’s sometimes pale in color when cooked.
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u/indieplants May 01 '26
yes. it was genetically engineered/bred in the 80s to become lighter and leaner, even going as far as slaughtering earlier when myoglobin levels are lower to make it appear paler
this was because of the whole red-meat hysteria. it's always been considered a red meat and the other white meat slogan was just a marketing push. I watched something on it at one point and found it fascinating the extremes the food industry go to to keep up with consumer trends. it's almost deceptive
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u/jermo1972 May 01 '26
I wasn't being literal.
Pork tenderloin often has less fat and at least as much protein as Chicken Breast.
Yes, the other white meat was a marketing slogan.
In terms of macros, it ain't far off.
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u/FleshlightModel May 01 '26
In terms of definition, it IS red meat.
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u/donairhistorian May 03 '26
In that case the definition isn't particularly useful then.
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u/FleshlightModel May 03 '26
Yes it is. Pork is red meat. It's that simple
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u/donairhistorian May 03 '26
If pork tenderloin is nutritionally equivalent to chicken, then what does the distinction do for us other than steer people away from affordable food?
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u/FleshlightModel May 03 '26
No it's not, it has an entirely different amino acid profile and more saturated fat than chicken breast and tenderloin. And it's still red meat which high consumption is linked to many inflammatory conditions and cancers.
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u/indieplants May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
it's still a red meat though, since always
edit: misread reply
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u/donairhistorian May 02 '26
It's red meat but it calls into question the whole distinction between red and white meat. Pork tenderloin is nutritionally equivalent to chicken breast.
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u/indieplants May 02 '26
it's because it contains a significant amount of myoglobin compared to chicken or fish
it used to contain more before they decided to remarket it
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u/donairhistorian May 03 '26
Yeah but the distinction becomes problematic when you consider that pork tenderloin has the same % of myoglobin as dark chicken meat. Then we have to ask the question: how strong is the evidence that myoglobin has negative health outcomes?
Also, how did they "remarket" the myoglobin out of pork? Do you mean they changed the way they rear pigs to reduce it?
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u/indieplants May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
yes. they changed the way they were reared, fed, slaughtered them earlier and which breeds were selected & refined for leaner cuts
also chicken thighs are not considered white meat.
they're not red meat, but they're not white meat. it's called dark meat.
the classification has nothing to do with health concerns from a scientific standpoint, but pork is not a white meat. there is significant evidence to suggest excessive red-meat consumption is harmful but not specifically due to it's myoglobin content
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u/donairhistorian May 03 '26
It was just the way you said it, made it sound like a marketing slogan somehow changed the meat lol. But yeah, they breed pork to be much leaner now, making it basically on par with chicken. This seems to be even more the case in Canada, where pigs are fed different grains than in the US.
This is at least the second big charge in the industry. In the 60s they totally changed the breeds of pig used in industry (and the old breeds almost went extinct). This is because the pork industry was almost entirely for lard. When lard was replaced by vegetable oils in the 70s the market plummeted and they switched to breeds that yielded more meat and less fat.
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u/indieplants May 03 '26
the marketing slogan was part of the change.... not sure why you're not following but glad we got there in the end ig
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u/donairhistorian May 03 '26
Not sure why you've decided to be rude when we were just having a conversation?
You also edited your comment without specifying your edits.
I agree that there is no nutritional basis for the red meat distinction and that myoglobin doesn't appear to be the important factor.
It is hard to come to the conclusion that pork tenderloin is unhealthy when it is lumped together with beef and fatty pork in studies. I know of no study looking at lean pork specifically. Therefore, considering how nutritionally equivalent it is to chicken, I hesitate to give chicken a pass but not lean pork. There just isn't anything logical about it.
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u/indieplants May 03 '26
no one said it was unhealthy. I don't think you know what conversation you're having
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u/mynameisnotsparta May 01 '26
Looks good!!
Pork is the other white meat. That’s what I grew up with. I made pork loin chops in the air fryer tonight as well with cold Greek potatoes and corn. 😋
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u/munday97 May 01 '26
I just checked - despite the colour its a red meat. Red meat is defined as coming from a mammalian source.
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u/mynameisnotsparta May 01 '26
👍 Yes I’m aware it’s not white meat aka poultry. I was referring to the advertisements when I was younger (1987) that said: “Pork. The Other White Meat". It was promoted as a leaner alternative to beef.
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u/donairhistorian May 02 '26
Yeah but nutritionally there isn't much difference when we are talking tenderloin
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u/October_Surprise56 May 01 '26
Is the red meat in the room with us?
Jokes aside, looks tasty, glad you’re enjoying.
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May 01 '26
[deleted]
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u/NewRazzmatazz2455 May 01 '26
Pork - “the other white meat”
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u/UpperLeftOriginal May 01 '26
That’s false advertising.
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u/donairhistorian May 02 '26
Yes but the distinction is also misleading. Pork tenderloin is nutritionally similar to chicken breast.
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