Red meat has been a part of the human diet for centuries, and with good reason. Even with the continued debate over how much, one fact is not up for argument – red meat is a great source of the nutrients your body needs.

Red meat is important to your diet because it provides benefits to your body from head to toe. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, even a 4-ounce serving provides a sizable portion of the nutrients you need every day. The best-known benefit is protein, which the body needs to build muscle, help build cells, and break down toxins. However, there’s a lot more there that helps our bodies:

• Potassium – nerves, muscles, blood-pressure control
• Zinc – hair, nails, reproductive health
• Iron – oxygen transport, immune system, cognitive functions
• Magnesium – muscles, nervous system
• Vitamin A – eyes, skin
• Vitamin B – energy, fatigue
• Vitamin B12 – nervous system
• Vitamin D – bones, immune system
• Omega 3 – heart, brain
• Iodine – thyroid

Many of the things you do on a daily basis are helped by protein, and beef and pork are the best ways to get that protein. There are plenty of sources for protein, but no source that can match with red meat. It’s more likely to contain all of the amino acids your body needs than plant-based sources. Iron is especially critical for young women and women who want to have children. Those are the two groups that lack iron the most, so the best way to get iron is through the best provider of it.

Almost any food that you eat to excess will eventually have a negative effect on your health. You can get all the benefits of red meat in your diet, and minimize the risk, by remembering a few simple things. First, choose as lean of meat as you can and monitor your frequency. Enjoying your favorite burgers is better for you when the meat is leaner. That’s not to say you can’t have a hamburger, just don’t make it a daily thing. Second, don’t make red meat the only part of your meat diet. A few servings of beef or pork per week, at about 6 ounces per serving, is a good guideline. A variety of meats is also helpful. Finally, watch the way you cook the meat. High-temperature cooking that cooks the meat to well-done is more likely to produce carcinogens. Cook the meat to an internal temperature of about 160 degrees and stop there. It will be more flavorful and better for you.

Grocery stores are certainly an easy way to get your red meat, but they are far from the best place to buy your meat. To help with costs, they tend to shop for their meat nationally instead of locally, and they don’t pick the highest quality of beef and pork. It’s best to avoid the grocery stores and find a better source. Meat By the Case is your affordable bulk meat supplier. Buying in bulk not only saves you money, but it also gives you more control over your diet. When you bulk buy, you can portion out and plan your meals to your liking. You can also shop for a wider variety of meats that work best for you.