Ask Tufts Experts

Frankly, I’m getting real tired of being told I don’t know what I’m talking about. My husband and I both have high holesterol. My husband is a hunter, and he and his buddies claim that wild meat is good and OK to eat as much as one wants. I say red meat is red meat regardless. If I’m wrong, fine, I’ll accept it; if not, then they will be stuck with more chicken, fish or turkey dishes.

We suggest your husband should spend some time fishing as well as hunting. Just because meat is wild rather than farm-raised doesn’t magically make it good for you; moderation is still the key to healthy eating. All meat contains some fat, saturated fat and cholesterol—plus of course calories.

That being said, however, it’s true that game meats in general are leaner than many cuts of red meat you might buy at the grocery store. For example, according to the USDA’s Nutrient Data Laboratory, a three-ounce serving of venison steak contains just 128 calories, 2 grams total fat, 0.8 gram of saturated fat and 67 milligrams of cholesterol. Compare that to the same size portion of beef porterhouse steak—202 calories, almost 15 grams total fat, a whopping 6.8 grams saturated fat and 54 milligrams of cholesterol.

You’ll note that venison, like most game meats, is relatively higher in cholesterol. Organ meats, whether wild or domestic, are also extremely high in cholesterol. While this is something to watch, cholesterol in food is not the only contributor to your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol blood levels. According to the American Heart Association, dietary saturated fat is the main culprit in LDL cholesterol; game meats in general are lower in saturated fat than comparable cuts of beef or pork.

Among the leaner varieties of wild game red meat are deer, elk, antelope, wild boar, squirrel and rabbit; bear meat is relatively high in fat. Choose carefully among wild birds, however: Pheasant, quail, wild turkey and dove are all similar to or slightly leaner than chicken, but duck and goose (wild or domestic) are much higher in cholesterol and saturated fat.

If your husband went fishing for rainbow trout instead, a three-ounce serving would contain only 101 calories, 0.6 gram of saturated fat and 50 milligrams of cholesterol.