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It's dinner time and you're craving comfort food after a long, stressful day. If your mind is on stew or a good, old-fashioned plate of meat and potatoes, you should satisfy that protein craving.
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But not all meats are created equal and certain types of meat at dinner can actually slow down your metabolism and prevent you from losing weight, says Rene Ficek, a registered dietitian nutritionist and Lead Nutrition Expert at Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating.
The number one culprit? Corn-fed beef and processed meat.
"Farmers today feed their cows corn and soybeans, which can fatten animals up at a faster rate," Ficek says. "This feed also diminishes any vitamins and minerals that could be obtained from meat, and increases the saturated fat content. Choose grass-fed beef or better yet, lean cuts of chicken and turkey. Fat is very hard to digest, and that interferes with your metabolic process."
A healthy dinner that can speed up your metabolism before bed includes a balanced plate of lean protein, complex carbs, and fiber-rich vegetables. Choose meats that are fed the foods that are most natural for them and you will reap the benefits of that nutrition.
