{"id":265600,"date":"2026-01-27T00:46:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/265600\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T00:46:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:46:22","slug":"worlds-healthiest-meat-is-better-than-oranges-and-tomatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/265600\/","title":{"rendered":"World’s ‘healthiest meat’ is better than oranges and tomatoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

This meat has been ranked eighth in a list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods, with a nutritional score of 73 out of 100 – outperforming peas, tomatoes, oranges and sweet potato.<\/p>\n

12:08, 20 Jan 2026Updated 12:09, 20 Jan 2026<\/p>\n

\"Snack<\/p>\n

This meat is strangely healthy(Image: luoman via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

We all know that fruit and vegetables are lauded for their health benefits, but there’s one animal product that’s been praised as healthier than many green foods<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a ranking of the world’s 100 healthiest foods, pork fat secured the eighth spot for its nutritional value.<\/p>\n

With a nutritional score of 73 out of 100, pork fat, better known as lard, outperformed 92 other foods, including peas, red cabbage, tomatoes, mackerel, lettuce, oranges and sweet potato.<\/p>\n

According to BBC<\/a> Future, pork fat is a rich source of B vitamins<\/a> and minerals. It’s also more unsaturated and healthier than lamb or beef fat.<\/p>\n

\"Pork<\/p>\n

Pork fat was 8th on the list(Image: )<\/p>\n

Lard contains monounsaturated fats like oleic acid – also found in olive oil<\/a> – which are beneficial for heart health. It also has some saturated fats, which are fine in moderate amounts.<\/p>\n

However, it’s important to consider how the pigs were raised to fully benefit from the nutritional advantages. Lard provides fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin D, especially if the pigs were raised outdoors.<\/p>\n

Moreover, pasture-raised pork fat tends to be healthier due to superior nutrient content.<\/p>\n

So, don’t always feel guilty when indulging in pork fat or lard. However, as with everything, moderation is key.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, no other animal fat or meat made the list.<\/p>\n

Instead, quite a few fish made the cut with Ocean Perch being the top healthiest fish to eat. It came in at number three on a list of the most nutritious foods you can eat, scoring 89 out of 100.<\/p>\n

\"Traditional<\/p>\n

Pork fat is surprisingly healthy(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n

According to Facts.net, 100g of this fish contains a mere 79 calories but packs in around 20 grams of protein. Also known as rockfish, this deep-water dweller is low in saturated fats.<\/p>\n

But the perks don’t end there. The fish is also renowned for:Vitamin B12, crucial for nerve health and red blood cell productionVitamin D, aiding calcium absorption and bone healthSelenium, a powerful antioxidantPhosphorus, promoting healthy bones and energy metabolismTop 20 healthiest foodsAlmondsCherimoyaOcean perchFlatfishChia seedsPumpkin seedsSwiss chardPork fatBeet greensSnapperDried parsleyCelery flakesWatercressTangerinesGreen peasPikeAlaska pollockGreen onionRed cabbagePacific cod<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This meat has been ranked eighth in a list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods, with a nutritional…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265601,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[426,5471,103,1350,61,60,446,5966,13448],"class_list":{"0":"post-265600","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-food","9":"tag-food-and-drink","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-healthy-eating","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-nutrition","15":"tag-olive-oil","16":"tag-vitamins"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}