Fresh American Lamb



Fresh American Lamb

by Susan Schoenian



| | Packed Full of Good Nutrition |

| | |

|[pic] |Lamb is a prime source of high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. As |

|Rack of Lamb at a Restaurant in Barbados |with other red meats, its protein is nutritionally complete, with all 8 |

| |essential amino acids in the proper ratio. A 3-ounce serving of lamb provides |

| |43% of an adult male's Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein. Lamb is |

| |also high in B vitamins, niacin, zinc, and iron. Red meats, especially lamb |

| |and beef, are amongst the best sources of absorbable iron. |

|For those watching their intake of carbohydrates, lamb has ZERO carbohydrates. |

|GOOD FAT  |[pic] |

|Compared to other meats, lamb contains very little marbling (internal |Lamb is a favorite among chefs. |

|fat throughout the meat.) Since most lamb fat is on the outside edges of| |

|the meat, it is easily trimmed. That means fewer calories -- only 176 in| |

|an average 3-ounce serving -- or 7% of the average daily caloric intake | |

|recommended for a 23-to 50 year-old male. A recent study also shows that| |

|only about 36% of the fat in lamb is saturated. The rest is mono or | |

|polyunsaturated, the "good" fat in one's diet. | |

| |

|Lamb is one of the richest sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA possesses unique and potent antioxidant activity. It is produced naturally |

|from linoleic acid by bacteria in the stomachs of herbivores (plant eaters), such as sheep and cows. CLA cannot be manufactured in the human body. |

| | Lamb vs. Mutton |

|[pic] |The meat from a young sheep (less than 12 months of age) is called lamb. It is|

|Lamb at a butcher shop in New York City |usually tender and mild in flavor. The meat from an older sheep (1 year and |

| |older) is called mutton. Mutton has a much stronger flavor intensity than |

| |lamb. It is generally not popular in the U.S., but is preferred to lamb in |

| |some countries. Yearling mutton is the meat from a sheep that is between 1 and|

| |2 years of age. It is intermediate in flavor between lamb and mutton. |

| | |

|Macho Meat |[pic] |

|There is no flavor or quality difference in the meat from a young ram |4-month Old Ram Lambs |

|lamb vs. the meat from a wether (castrated male) or ewe lamb. However, | |

|as ram lambs sexually mature, their hormones may cause a slight taint in| |

|the flavor of meat. | |

| Lamb of God   |  |

|Since ancient times, lamb has been regarded as a religious symbol. It |[pic] |

|was commonly used as a sacrifice, and a symbol of sacrifice, in many |Halal is that which is |

|religions including Judaism. In many countries, lamb is a traditional |allowed by Islamic Law. |

|dish at Easter in commemoration of the Last Supper at which lamb was | |

|likely served. Jesus is often referred to as the “Lamb of God”. Lamb is | |

|commonly consumed by Muslims during their major holidays. During Eid | |

|al-Adha (feast of the sacrifice), it is common for Muslim families to | |

|sacrifice a lamb in commemoration of Abraham's sacrifice of a lamb in | |

|place of his son. One third of the meat is given to the poor, and the | |

|rest is shared with family and friends. It is also customary for Muslims| |

|to kill a lamb (or goat) to celebrate the birth of a child (2 lambs for | |

|a boy, 1 for a girl). | |

|  | |

| | Lamb Consumption |

|[pic] |In the U.S., the per capita consumption of lamb (and mutton) is less than one |

|Whole Lamb Carcasses |pound per person, compared to almost 40 lbs. in New Zealand. However, the |

| |majority of today's U.S. immigrants originate from regions of the world where |

| |lamb (and goat) are commonly consumed. Thus, the U.S. continues to import lamb|

| |to meet consumer demand and there is a growing market for lamb. |

| |  |

|Per Capita Consumption |  |

|of Lamb and Mutton |[pic] |

|Country |Lamb on a Spit at a |

|Lbs. |Greek Restaurant in New York City |

| | |

|New Zealand | |

|39.6 | |

| | |

|Kuwait | |

|38.9 | |

| | |

|Australia | |

|35.0 | |

| | |

|Greece | |

|31.0 | |

| | |

|Uruguay | |

|18.9 | |

| | |

|Ireland | |

|14.8 | |

| | |

|United Kingdom | |

|14.1 | |

| | |

|Saudi Arabia | |

|13.4 | |

| | |

|Spain | |

|13.2 | |

| | |

|Bulgaria | |

|9.5 | |

| | |

|Canada | |

|2.0 | |

| | |

|United States | |

|~1.0 | |

| | |

| |

|. . New Words . . |

|Amino Acids - nitrogen-bearing organic acids that are the building blocks of protein. |

|Saturated Fat - fat that is found in foods from animal meats and skin, dairy products and some vegetables. Saturated fats are usually solid at room |

|temperatures and can increase LDL "bad cholesterol" levels. |

|Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - a slightly altered form of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid found in meat and dairy products. CLA has anti-fat |

|and anti-cancer properties. |

|Lamb - meat from a young sheep (less than 12 months of age). |

|Marbling - an intermixture of fat and lean in meat, giving it a marbled appearance. |

|Mutton - meat from a mature domestic sheep (over 12 months of age). |

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|© Copyright 2005. |

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