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Pork Pantry

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What does healthy pork look like?

What can I do with the various pork cuts

Is pork fatty and high in cholesterol?

How can I keep a serving of pork low in fat?

Is pork rich in vitamins and minerals?

How does pork compare to other meats?

Why SA pork?

Shopping tips

Through changes in feeding and breeding techniques, pork producers have responded to consumer demand for leaner pork. Today's pork has 31 percent less fat than 20 years ago. Many cuts of pork are as lean as skinless chicken. All lean, trimmed pork cuts with no more than 3 mm visible fat, are approved by the Heart Foundation

Other hints

• Choose pork with little visible fat. Trim all visible fat.
• Use as little cooking oil and fat as possible during the cooking process. Non-stick cookware and sprays are available which make the addition of fat unnecessary.
• Limit deep- and shallow-frying because these methods load fat and kilojoules unnecessarily.
• Heated liquids used in pork dishes should add to the nutritional value and taste of the dish but should not add too many additional kilojoules. Use liquids such as fruit juices, meat stock and vegetable purses for interesting variations.
• Add a variety of vegetables to pork stews and braises.
• Make use of dried or fresh fruit to create exotic pork dishes. Not only is this a wonderful way of adding colour, but it also increases the nutritional value of the dish.
• Reap all the nutritional wealth from pork by including a moderate, cooked serving of 115 g in your eating plan two to three times a week.
• Limit the use of seasonings that contain sodium, such as table salt. A better alternative is fresh or dried herbs because they do not increase the sodium intake unnecessarily.
• Cream and sour cream have a high fat content and can be substituted in sauces and soups by low-fat yoghurt and cottage cheese. It is important, however, not to allow the yoghurt or cottage cheese to come to a boil as it will curdle and spoil the appearance of the dish.
• Use low-fat cheeses such as Edam and Mozzarella. Skimmed milk can successfully replace whole milk.
• When deciding on a starch to accompany a pork dish, it is advisable to concentrate on high-fibre products such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, cracked wheat and samp rather than their refined equivalents.
• The use of cooking oil or fat is unnecessary when browning meat which has enough fat of its own.
• After browning meat and sautéing vegetables, excess fat can be discarded before adding the liquid.
• Leave stews to cool after cooking, then skim off the excess fat that accumulates on top.
• Once visible fat has been trimmed, pork contains only 1,5% intramuscular fat. This makes pork and ideal food for slimmers.
• Grill schnitzels under a pre-heated element instead of shallow-frying.