Health Benefits of Elk Meat

In today's war on obesity, elk meat is an extremely attractive low fat food source. Elk meat is lower in fat than most meat, poultry and fish products. One has to be careful in evaluating comparative nutritive values of different animal species because it is so highly dependent on what part of the animal was tested and how many samples were taken. Nevertheless, on a fat percentage basis, reports show elk meat ranging from .07 to 1% fat. According to some reports (Human Information Service, USDA),

• ostrich ranges from 2 to 3% fat,
• salmon 5 to 6% fat,
• chicken breast 2 to 4% fat,
• ham 6% fat,
• roast beef 6 to 10% fat, and
• buffalo 2 to 3% fat.

Using the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference in the areas of fat, calories, cholesterol. Elk is by far the healthiest meat. We've included some of the comparisons in an easy to view table referencing the various meats. These are the most current figures available.
Because elk meat is so low in fat, it is extremely high in protein. High protein/low carbohydrate diets are in vogue at this time. There have been reports that this high protein/low carbohydrate craze is the main reason for increased red meat consumption in the United States over the last two years.