Meat facts for kids

Types of meat include beef, lamb, and pork

Meat is the animal tissue that people eat as food. It usually means the muscle and fat from animals. Some common types of meat are beef and veal from cattle, pork from pigs, and mutton from sheep.

Other meats include venison from deer and poultry like chickens, ducks, and turkeys. The word "meat" can also mean sausages or organs like liver and kidneys. Sometimes, eggs and fish are also considered meat.

In the food business, "meat" often refers only to the flesh of mammals like pigs and cattle. This definition usually does not include fish, poultry, or eggs.

Meat is a key part of many people's diets because it has a lot of protein. Protein helps your body grow, heal, and gives you energy. Meat is a "high-protein" food. However, it can be more expensive than foods like bread or vegetables.

People who cannot afford meat or choose not to eat it find other ways to get protein. Beans and certain nuts are also rich in protein. People who choose not to eat meat are called vegetarians. Those who avoid all animal products are known as vegans.

Animals that mostly eat other animals are called carnivores, like members of the cat family.

Types of Meat

Meat can be grouped into different types. Red meat is darker in color. Examples include beef and lamb. White meat is lighter, like chicken or fish.

It is important to cook meat properly. Eating some raw meat can make people sick.

How Meat is Prepared and Cooked

A spit barbecue at a street fair in New York City's East Village.

Fresh meat can be cooked right away to eat. It can also be processed to keep it fresh for a longer time. Processed meat might need more cooking later. Sometimes, fresh or processed meat can look shiny or colorful. This is not usually a sign of spoilage. It happens because of how light reflects off the meat.

A common ingredient in processed meats is sodium nitrite. This helps keep meat fresh and stops it from changing color. However, heating sodium nitrite can create substances called carcinogenic nitrosamines, which are a health concern.

Meat is prepared in many different ways. It can be cooked as steaks, in stews, or as dried meat like beef jerky. Meat can also be ground up and shaped into patties, like hamburgers. It can also be made into loaves or sausages. Sometimes, it is used loose, as in "sloppy joe" or Bolognese sauce.

Pork ribs being smoked

Some meat is preserved by smoking. This process adds flavor, cooks, or preserves food using smoke from burning wood. In Europe, alder and oak are common woods for smoking. In North America, hickory, mesquite, and maple are often used.

Meat can also be preserved by pickling. This means keeping it in salt or salty water called brine. Other ways to prepare meat include marinating it, barbecueing, boiling, roasting, or frying.

Most meat is eaten cooked. However, some recipes use raw beef or fish, like Steak tartare. Meat is often seasoned with spices. Meat dishes are usually named by the animal and how they are cooked. For example, a beef rib.

Meat is a common base for making sandwiches. Popular sandwich meats include ham, salami, roast beef, and pepperoni. Meat can also be molded or pressed, especially products like haggis. It can also be canned for long-term storage.

Images for kids

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  A selection of uncooked red meat and poultry

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  A typical shoulder cut of lamb

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  A Hereford bull, a breed of cattle frequently used in beef production.

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  Dog meat sold at Gyeongdong Market, Seoul, South Korea

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  Fresh meat in a supermarket in North America

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  Blade steaks are an example of "red" meat

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  A slaughterhouse of the meat company Atria in Seinäjoki, South Ostrobothnia, Finland

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  In the meat products sector of the Rungis International Market, France.

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  The word "sausage" is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus meaning "salted".

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  Cereal-use statistic showing an estimated large fraction of crops used as fodder

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  Meat production is a main driver of tropical deforestation, in the Amazon largely due to beef production/exports

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  Life-cycle assessment of GHG emissions for foods – beef is the food with the largest carbon footprint, mainly due to methane production from cows

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  Sautéed reindeer with mashed potatoes, lingonberry and gherkin.

See also

In Spanish: Carne para niños