Meat covers all land-animal protein sources: beef (ground, steaks, roasts), chicken (breast, thigh, wing), pork (chop, loin, tenderloin, bacon, ham), turkey, lamb, and processed meats (sausage, deli meat, hot dogs, salami). Values are per 100g cooked unless the USDA entry is raw, and fat content reflects the cut as listed.
Meat is the densest dietary source of complete protein, heme iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 — four nutrients that plant foods struggle to match pound-for-pound. The USDA DGA considers meat part of a healthy diet when leaner cuts are chosen and processed meats are limited. The DGA specifically flags processed meats (sausage, deli, cured) as foods to limit.
Skinless poultry and lean beef (93%+ lean ground, sirloin, tenderloin) consistently score well because they deliver protein and iron without overloading saturated fat. Fattier cuts and skin-on poultry drop 8-15 points mostly from saturated fat. Processed meats (bacon, salami, deli turkey) almost always score below 45 because of NOVA 4 classification, high sodium, and cured preservatives.
Score distribution
Top 20 meats
ranked by FoodScore (0–100)- 0185Chicken thigh (skinless, cooked)Very good
- 0285Eggs (whole)Very good
- 0381Ham SlicedVery good
- 0480Pork Belly CookedVery good
- 0578Beef Sirloin CookedVery good
- 0678Graham CrackersVery good
- 0778Ground beef (93% lean, cooked)Very good
- 0874Chicken Breast Skin CookedGood
- 0974Chicken breast (skinless, cooked)Good
- 1073Beef Flank Steak CookedGood
- 1173Deli HamGood
- 1271Deli TurkeyGood
- 1369Tortilla CornGood
- 1468Lamb Ground CookedGood
- 1565Chicken Ground CookedGood
- 1665Pork Chop CookedGood
- 1765Pork Loin CookedGood
- 1864Half And HalfGood
- 1964Turkey Ground 93 Lean CookedGood
- 2062Chicken Nuggets Fast FoodGood