Lamb is the meat from young sheep that are less than one year old. It is usually available in five different cuts including the shoulder, rack, shank/breast, loin and leg. Additionally, many stores sell it already ground to be used to make burgers, meat loaf or sauces.
Benefits
Lamb meat is an excellent source of high quality protein.
Lamb meat is an ideal source of iron. An average portion can provide 20
per cent of the recommended daily intake for men and 12 per cent for women.
The iron found in lamb meat and other red meat is in a form that is easily
absorbed by the body. The inclusion of iron in the diet is vital in the
formation of red blood cells.
Lamb meat provides 45 per cent of the daily requirement of zinc,
essential for growth, healing and a healthy immune system. Like iron, the
zinc found in lamb meat is more easily absorbed by the body than zinc found
in other sources.
Lamb meat is a great source of B vitamins, essential for metabolic
reactions in the body. It can provide over 100 per cent of the daily
requirement of B12 and is a good source of thiamine.
Lamb meat also contains trace elements such as copper, manganese and
selenium.
As a result of breeding developments, feeding practices, butchery
methods and trimming, the fat in lamb meat has been greatly reduced over the
past 20 years. For example, Lamb Leg Steaks may contain as little as 5.1 per
cent fat.
Half the fat in lamb meat is unsaturated, which is good for you. Most of
the unsaturated fat is monounsaturated, commonly found in the healthy
'Mediterranean-type diet'
