Do you prefer your meat tender? Nutritionists say veal is a good option as this is meat that comes from calves, most often male dairy calves at four to six months of age. Normally, meat vendors say that this meat is usually more expensive than beef. In general, nutritionists attest that veal meat has a lot of benefits and nutritional facts, one being low in fats since it’s lean or extra lean and thus has a lot less fat than beef. According to Selina Wamucii, a mobile-driven business-to-business sourcing platform for fresh produce from smallholder farmers in Africa’s rural areas, a good portion of the 1.6 million cattle in Rwanda is of tender age. The platform indicates that the country’s calving rate fluctuates between exotic and indigenous breeds. Nutrition benefits Emmy Ntamanga, a Kigali-based nutrition consultant, says veal contains many vitamins including selenium which helps protect the system against free radicals, which provokes cardiovascular diseases and cancers. The veal, he says, also contains iron, noting that the human body needs iron in red blood cells to transport oxygen, and it’s a great source of energy too. From studies, Ntamanga says that veal is also a good source of the essential minerals potassium and phosphorus, as well as the b-vitamin niacin. For instance, it has been established that one (4-ounce) serving of veal provides 51 per cent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for niacin, 11 per cent of the RDA for potassium, and 38 per cent of the RDA for phosphorus. Niacin is used to create energy from the foods in our diet. Potassium is required for normal cell function and phosphorous is a component of bones, teeth, DNA, and RNA. Still, on the vitamin, veal meat also contains vitamin B12 which helps a lot for our energy. It’s like a recharge. It also helps the red blood cells reproduction. Finally, this vitamin can affect mood in a positive way. Meanwhile, the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to five to six per cent of total calorie intake for the day. For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s no more than 13 grams of saturated fat each day. One serving of veal only contains around one gram of saturated fat leaving plenty of room in your diet for more. Ntamanga says that it has also been proven that veal not only helps promote a healthy heart, but does so by helping improve lipid profiles of the blood and cholesterol levels. On top of that, research suggests that beef in and of itself is an excellent choice for building muscle plus, veal contains nearly two grams of the essential amino acid leucine, the amino acid responsible for muscle protein synthesis. Veal is an excellent source of vitamin B12. Without adequate B12 in the diet, brain function and other body systems will suffer. To maintain a sharp mind it is important to eat foods that are rich in these vitamins, including veal.
