Fat And Cholesterol Content Of Wild Game
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With the spoils of buck season — venison steaks and deer bologna — now in the refrigerator-freezer, health-conscious hunters and their families may want to know how wild game compares to domesticated meat in terms of fat and cholesterol.
“Many people in rural areas consume a significant amount of wild game,” says Dr. J. Lynne Brown, associate professor of food science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “But information on the fat and cholesterol content of deer, squirrel and other game often is lacking.
“Game meat tends to have the same amount of cholesterol as beef or pork, but considerably less fat than domestic meat,” says Brown.
Nutrition experts agree it is important for all adults — but especially those with heart problems — to limit their fat and cholesterol intake.
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that healthy adults limit their daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams and their fat intake to no more than 30 percent of total calories consumed daily.
The following table shows how wild game stacks up in comparison to beef and pork. The beef sample used is a well-trimmed USDA standard grade. All samples are 100 grams of raw meat. The skin was removed from the birds.
| Meat | |
|---|---|
| 58 | 158 |
EDITORS: For more information, contact J. Lynne Brown at 814-863-3973 or Chuck Gill 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax
Yes Squirrels Are High In Cholesterol But
So its squirrel season, and youve just watched Christmas Vacation for the umpteenth time, and you may be wondering if the bushy-tailed nutcrackers really are high in cholesterol. Maybe youre not, but I was, so I did some googling.
According to nutritiondata.self.com, one pound of roasted squirrel meat has 541 calories and 126 percent of the daily value of cholesterol.
So, it is high in cholesterol. But is that such a bad thing?
Also according to nutritiondata.self.com, squirrel meat is a good source of Niacin, Vitamin B6, Phophorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin B12 and Iron. But, the site says, the bad news is that the meat is very high in cholesterol.
Curiously, the website information doesnt say that its very high in iron, which it is, which is apparently good.
I tend to respect doctors. Like police and all individuals–most are good, some shouldnt be doing what theyre doing. I once had a state trooper pull me over for barely going over the speed limit. He said he smelled alcohol in the car and ordered me to get out of the car and go through all the testing. He was just plain lying and discredited his profession. Another state trooper introduced me to fishing around these parts. John Tritapoe is his name, one of the best men I have ever known.
Back to the cholesterol thing.
And heres why I tend to believe him.
Heres the lead for an Associated Press article published in October 2004:
This week, I think I will enjoy some squirrel meat.
How To Butcher A Squirrel
Before preparing a squirrel, it is important to properly butcher the animal. You will need a cutting board, a small knife like a pocket knife, kitchen shears, water, a trash bin, and a plate to put the finished pieces of the squirrel on.
The first step is to snip off the head, feet, and tail of the squirrel with shears. Unless you intend to consume the brain, which can be a delicacy in some places, toss these parts of the creature. Next, with your knife in one hand, pinch the loose skin located on the center of the squirrels back. Make a perpendicular incision, about two to three inches long, perpendicular to the squirrels backbone. Through this incision, you will skin the squirrel. Pull hard in opposite directions to get a majority of the skin off the torso of the squirrel. Then, use the knife to loosen the belly skin and the leg skin, and pull that skin off as well.
Next, youll want to gut the squirrel. Cut the squirrel along the chest, underneath the ribcage. The guts should come out relatively easily. Then, reach up a bit into the torso of the squirrel and pull out the heart and lungs of the squirrel. You may want to save the liver and kidney, as they can both be rather tasty. Finally, use the shears to split open the pelvis and empty out the poop.
Recommended Reading: How Much Cholesterol In Skinless Chicken Breast
How To Prepare Squirrel Meat
There are many delicious ways to prepare squirrel meat. It can be cooked in a slow cooker, which will ensure that it is tender and juicy. You can put a number of vegetables in the slow cooker alongside the squirrel, for instance, onions, carrots, potatoes, peppers, and more. Let the squirrel and vegetables sit in the slow cooker throughout the day and youll have a delicious meal by dinner time.
Another great way to cook a squirrel is to fry it. Start off by coating the squirrel in seasoned flour and then dip it in a buttermilk and egg wash. Once again, toss it in the flour so the crust is thick and crispy. Then, coat it in your seasoning. Finally, deep-fry or air-fry the squirrel. If you deep-fry it the squirrel is more likely to be juicy and tender.
Another delicious way to cook squirrel is stewed. Throw it into a pot with some butter, flour, water, potatoes, onions, and chopped tomatoes then let it sit throughout the day until the stew achieves the desired texture. Season the squirrel to taste.
Is It Safe To Eat Squirrels Meat
Once you get the squirrels and you are feeling proud of yourself, sit down for a moment and think about the safety of their meat as we all know that everything has advantages and disadvantages. Similar is the case with squirrels meat. The squirrels meat has become a trendy cuisine. Many restaurants have squirrels on their menu, and people are ready to eat it as well. This means that it is not so bad for you. But this also does not mean that it will not have harmful effects on you in any way.
Since we are going to have a backyard squirrels, we are concerned about the disease they may carry either directly or indirectly. They fall into the category of rodents but, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, they do not carry rabies, fortunately. There is a certain disease that we can carry from them after consumption of their meats.
Salmonella and some tickborne disease such as Lyme disease are just the names of diseases we can carry from squirrels. Another thing to worry about is pesticides. There are chances that the guy next door may have rodent problems and therefore have used some pesticides to keep them away, and the squirrel you will have may have eaten those pesticides. This can harm the target as well as the animals which will eat them.
Also Check: Canned Tuna And Cholesterol
Plasma Cholesterol Lipid And
Plasma cholesterol was measured with Infinity Cholesterol Liquid Stable Reagent . Free cholesterol in the plasma was quantified with the Wako Free Cholesterol E kit . Esterified plasma cholesterol was calculated by subtracting FC from the total cholesterol in each sample. Plasma TGs were measured with Infinity Triglycerides Reagent . All assays were performed in duplicate according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Plasma lipoprotein profiles were determined for SUM fasted , SUM fed , SPR fasted , LT and IBA squirrels following the methods in Miyazaki, MYC et al. . Briefly, 100 µl of plasma was diluted 11 with PBS and filtered with a Cameo 3AS syringe filter . The samples were injected onto a Superose 6HR 10/30 fast protein liquid chromatography column equilibrated with PBS containing 1 mM EDTA and 0.02% NaN3, with a constant flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. We measured total, free and esterified cholesterol, as well as TGs in each fraction with the reagents outlined above, reporting values as total mass/fraction.
-hydroxybutyrate was measured in fresh plasma with the LiquiColor kit according to the manufacturer’s instructions .
Should We Be Eating More Squirrel Meat Some Chefs Think So
Though it seems off-putting, proponents argue its a useful way to cull an invasive species.
For many of us, the idea of eating squirrel is repulsive. To do so conjures images of desperate times in the old West or some post-apocalyptic survival scenario where one has to cook and kill whatever they can to survive. So it might come as a shock to learn that some chefs over in Great Britain believe that the grey squirrel might just be the future of sustainable meat eating.
Thats if the menu at chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes London restaurant Native is to be believed. There, curious diners can try squirrel meat pie with a sweet pickled onion relish and squirrel ragu lasagna. Its part of a push to get diners to overcome their squeamishness and see grey squirrel as a viable, perhaps even ethical, protein source.
WATCH: How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak
Squirrel is one of the most sustainable proteins you can cook really. It is almost exactly the same in taste as rabbit, Tisdall-Downestold the Evening Standard. It’s not as gamey as rabbit, it’s nice white meat. It’s good to cook down slowly It’s very good for you, it’s quite lean.”
Recommended Reading: Is Shellfish High In Cholesterol
Serum Samples And Tests
Blood samples were collected from a subset of all individuals captured at each site . Samples were taken at the urban site between May 13-15, 2019, and the rural site between June 7-14, 2019. Blood was drawn on-site from the femoral vein using a syringe without anticoagulant and stored on ice until delivery to the Manitoba Veterinary Diagnostics Services lab . Samples were processed within 12h of capture. Serum biochemistry profiles were run for each sample, consisting of the following tests: sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, amylase, lipase, alkaline phosphatase , gamma-glutamyl transferase , bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase , aspartate aminotransferase , creatine kinase, glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, and globulin. Some tests were omitted when sample volume was lacking for this reason, we do not report results for amylase, lipase, or creatine kinase. Sample sizes for each comparison are given in Table 1.
Time Course Of Plasma Cholesterol Changes
Six squirrels not used in other experiments were subjected to repeat blood draws at 4 wk and 2 wk prior to entering the cold room on the day of cold room entry, and at 1, 2 and 3 mo after starting hibernation. Prior to blood draw, hibernators were transferred to a warm, lighted room for 4 h to induce an arousal. When rectal temperature was 35°C, blood was drawn and squirrels were then returned to the cold room. To draw blood, all squirrels were anesthetized with an isoflurane/O2 mixture and the pedal vein was pierced with a 23 gauge needle. Blood was collected in heparinized micro-hematocrit capillary tubes and stored on ice. Plasma was collected by centrifugation and stored at 80°C until analysis.
Read Also: Does Shrimp Contain Cholesterol
Why Do Vegetarians Have Lower Cholesterol
The authors predict the strong correlation between vegetarian diets and lower cholesterol levels may be due to the association a plant-based diet has with a lower body weight, a reduced intake of saturated fat, and an increased intake of plant foods, like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, which are
Is It Legal To Hunt Squirrels
Before we start discussing our main topic, which must get you here, we should discuss the first and essential step which you will take before eating squirrels meat. Yes, it is hunting. Before you stand up and just go out there looking for a squirrel to eat, make sure that you are doing legal work. It will not be helpful if you get caught up by the local police while hunting. Make sure that you have a legal weapon.
Whether it is a shotgun, a pistol, or any kind of gun, it should be legal and licensed. Then comes the next important part, the legality of hunting. Hunting is not a small concept. In our case, we want to hunt down a squirrel so, we should know where we can find them. If we want to get squirrels from our backyard, then we must have the right to hunt at our backyard. Therefore, make sure that this is not an illegal activity.
To know this, you can go to the local police station or department of conservation to get your answers about legality. Once you come to know about the legality of your work, you are ready to go. There are some states which will allow you to hunt down an animal but not in your backyard while there are some states which do not allow hunting anywhere.
Also Check: Does Tuna Have Cholesterol
Cholesterol And Lipoprotein Dynamics In A Hibernating Mammal
-
Affiliation Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
-
Affiliation Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
-
Affiliation Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
-
Affiliation Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
-
Affiliation Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
What Is The Best Way To Cook A Squirrel
Heat half an inch of your favorite oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry each side of the squirrel for 10-12 minutes with the lid on the pan to help soften it up. *que an Emeril Lagasse sound effect* BAM! Once the meat is brown and cooked, place them on a warm tinfoil covered plate until you make the gravy.
Don’t Miss: Is Tuna High In Cholesterol
Caution Of Squirrel Meat
same with the meat in general, Health Benefits of Squirrel Meat can also be contaminated with various diseases such as tapeworm or other bacteria. If you want to eat squirrel meat, make sure you buy it from a trusted person or a clean place, and process properly. In order for you to get the benefits.
Ways To Kill Squirrels In Your Backyard
After you get the permit to hunt at your backyard, the next step is to get the squirrels. We all know that squirrels are very fast, and it is not going to be an easy task to get them. Therefore, we must make a plan or have to put bait so that we can get them quickly without wasting our time and effort. You can use a licensed weapon to shoot down squirrels. This may seem an easy task, but it is not. This is challenging work. If you are not good at aiming, then this is not for you.
Because if you missed the shot, the squirrel would go away from there, and you will not be able to see them in your backyard very soon after this. Therefore, be attentive. While aiming at squirrels, make sure that you hit them right at the head and not on the body. If it gets hit at his head, then it will die on the spot. Body shot will damage the meat. The second method is the bait or trap. To set up a trap of bait, make sure that it is legal too. Bait and trap are not very favorable and acceptable as it is also a threat to other animals as well.
Don’t Miss: For Cholesterol Testing Fasting Is Needing
Squirrels Are High In Cholesterol National Lampoons Christmas Vacation T Shirt
- Product Details
- Refunds and Returns
Order your very own Squirrels Are High In Cholesterol National Lampoons Christmas Vacation T Shirt. Shop our huge selection of high quality, personalized graphic apparel. Each design is offered on a variety of sizes and colors. This product is pre-treated to ensure quality and longevity of the graphic. Show off your name in style with this cool graphic design, it’s sure to be an eye-catcher!
- Solid colored t-shirts are 100% combed ringspun cotton, however heathered colors could contain a cotton/polyester blend
- Preshrunk to minimize shrinkage
- Double-needle sleeve and bottom hems
How Can You Tell If A Squirrel Is Safe To Eat
You should also cut out the glands in the squirrel’s limbs. Some squirrel diseases can be easily identified but others such as mange can be hidden. If you’re not an expert hunter and would want squirrel meat without the risk of contracting a disease, try a reputable restaurant that prepares this delicacy.
Read Also: Does Bananas Lower Cholesterol
What Are The Benefits Of Eating Squirrel
There are numerous health benefits to eating squirrels. Squirrel meat is an excellent source of protein and contains about the same density of protein as there is in both chicken and beef. It is also a good source of iron, which the body needs for growth and to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.
In addition to iron, squirrel meat is also high in vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and niacin. Vitamin B12 is necessary to form red blood cells and DNA, and also helps the brain and nerves function. Vitamin B6 helps to keep the nervous system and immune system in good shape. And niacin helps turn food into energy, as well as keep the skin, digestive system, and nervous system healthy.
The only downside to eating squirrel is that it can be rather high in cholesterol, more so than most other meats. That means it should be avoided by those who have heart issues or already have high cholesterol.
There Is Mg Amount Of Cholesterol In Amount Of Game Meat Squirrel Cooked Roasted
CHOLESTEROLIn the chemist view cholesterol is a sterol compound with a multiple ring structure, to us “ordinary mortals” who may not be on the best terms with chemistry, cholesterol is the most famous sterol and for reasons still questionable enemy number one lipid .
Cholesterol plays vital role in our body and without it we would not survive. Majority of cholesterol does not enter our body via food we eat but because it is vitally important, liver manufactures it from protein, lipids and fats intakes.
Our body is very clever and healthy human body manufactures cholesterol when it knows it is needed. If our diet is low in cholesterol the factory in our body kicks in and produces more, if we have enough the production in the liver is reduced. Cholesterol in our body is vital for many different functions and is required by different organs and body systems. It is essential for adrenal glands to produce hormones, including testosterone, progesterone, cortisol and others.
It is vital part of our immune system to protect us from various diseases and provide for speedy recovery. All animal origin foods contain cholesterol. Foods rich in cholesterol include, cod liver oil, fish , butter, cream and various other foods.
Determine, under different quantities, how much of Cholesterol nutrient can be found in Game meat, squirrel, cooked, roasted. Calculate and convert the amounts.
Food categories
Don’t Miss: Baked Potato Cholesterol