Pork: a healthy choice

Today's pork is slim, trim, and still delicious. Pork producers have listened to consumers' preferences/concerns. Since 1987, the fat content of pork has been dramatically reduced. A centre-cut pork loin is now 42% lower in fat! How? Through:

• Improved breeding and feeding practices
• A revised grading system which rewards pork producers for raising leaner hogs
• Better trimming of fat, both at the processors and in the stores.

Health Canada's nutritional labeling guidelines classifies all pork cuts, with the exception of ribs, as lean (10% or less) when trimmed of visible fat. Lower in fat and cholesterol, pork now plays its part in a healthy diet. And you don't have to take our word - the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check™ Program includes lean pork as a wise food choice. Now you can put pork on your fork AND practice good nutrition.

How does pork shape up against other meats and poultry?

Nutritional profile comparison of common foods

As you can see, today's pork compares favourably in terms of fat and cholesterol.

One more comparison: one tuna sandwich has nearly four times the calories as one serving (100 g) of pork (584 Kcal for a tuna sub, 144 Kcal for pork), and more than three times as much fat (28 grams for a tuna sub, 8.5 grams for pork).

To learn more about fat and cholesterol, click here.

The bottom line: Even if you are on a restricted fat or cholesterol diet, or on a low carbohydrate diet, you can include pork as part of your healthy diet.