WHY ELK MEAT
Lean and flavorful, elk meat is lower in fat than beef, pork, chicken, and even some seafoods according to health experts. Considering that the fat intake for most Americans exceeds the recommended daily allowances established by the American Heart Association, elk meat is a healthy, attractive alternative.
Elk by nature take in a lot of their diet from native grasses, trees, and bushes. Even domesticated elk do not tolerate a diet of heavy, rich grain but derive most of their food from oats, grass, and hay. This in turn creates very lean tissue.
Most elk meat purchased today in butcher shops or at restaurants is actually red deer from New Zealand. New Zealand supplies the majority of the world with this type of meat. Red deer is a cousin of the elk and tastes very similar, but is not truly elk. just close.
Elk farms in Minnesota and all across the United States are working to grow sufficient numbers of elk to create a consistent supply of elk meat for North American consumers.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
A comparison of 3 ounces of cooked elk meat versus
other lean meats.
Meat | Calories | Fat(g) | Cholesterol(mg) | Protein(g) |
Elk | 146 | 1.9 | 73 | 30.2 |
Chicken* | 190 | 7.4 | 89 | 28.9 |
Beef | 211 | 9.3 | 86 | 29.9 |
Pork | 212 | 9.7 | 86 | 29.3 |
Veal | 196 | 6.6 | 118 | 31.9 |
Duck | 201 | 11.2 | 89 | 23.5 |
Deer | 158 | 3.2 | 112 | 30.2 |
Antelope | 150 | 2.7 | 126 | 29.5 |
Ostrich | 142 | 3.0 | 83 | 26.9 |
Bison | 143 | 2.4 | 82 | 28.4 |
Source: USDA Agricultural Handbook 8 – except ostrich, which
is a weighted average of major muscles from data obtained in
1993 and 1996 by the Texas A&M University System.
* Skinless
Try these delicious ELK RECIPES!