Exchange list: Meat and meat substitutes

Most meats and meat substitutes are good sources of protein. One serving (exchange) of meat or meat substitute usually contains 7 grams of protein. Check the product label to see how much fat and how many calories each product contains.

Lean meat. One serving contains 0 to 3 grams of fat and 45 calories.
Medium-fat meat. One serving contains 4 to 7 grams of fat and 75 calories.
High-fat meat. One serving contains 8 or more grams of fat and 100 calories.

Meats and meat substitutes in the amounts listed below equal one exchange.

Type	Food	Serving size
Lean meat and meat substitutes
	Beef, select or choice, trimmed of fat: ground round, roast, round, sirloin, tenderloin	1 ounce
	Beef jerky	1/2 ounce
	Cheese, 3 or less grams of fat per ounce	1 ounce
	Cottage cheese, fat-free, low-fat or regular	1/4 cup
	Egg substitutes, plain	1/4 cup
	Egg whites	2
	Fish, fresh or frozen: catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, orange roughy, salmon, tilapia, trout, tuna	1 ounce
	Herring, smoked	1 ounce
	Hot dog, 3 or less grams of fat per ounce (Note: May be high in carbohydrate.)	1
	Lamb: roast, chop, leg	1 ounce
	Luncheon meat, 3 or less grams of fat per ounce: chipped beef, deli thin-sliced meats, turkey ham, turkey kielbasa, turkey pastrami	1 ounce
	Oysters, medium, fresh or frozen	6
	Pork, lean: Canadian bacon, chop, ham, tenderloin	1 ounce
	Poultry without skin: chicken, Cornish hen, duck, goose, turkey	1 ounce
	Sardines, canned	2 small
	Shellfish: clams, crab, imitation shellfish, lobster, scallops, shrimp	1 ounce
	Tuna, canned in water or oil, drained	1 ounce
	Veal: loin chop, roast	1 ounce
	Wild game: buffalo, ostrich, rabbit, venison	1 ounce
Medium-fat meat and meat substitutes
	Beef: corned beef, ground beef, meatloaf, prime rib, short ribs, tongue	1 ounce
	Cheese, 4 to 7 grams of fat per ounce: feta, mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese spread, reduced-fat cheeses, string	1 ounce
	Eggs (limit to 3 a week)	1
	Fish, fried	1 ounce
	Lamb: ground, rib roast	1 ounce
	Pork: cutlet, shoulder roast	1 ounce
	Poultry: chicken with skin, dove, fried chicken, ground turkey, pheasant, wild duck or goose	1 ounce
	Ricotta cheese	1/4 cup (2 ounces)
	Sausage, 4 to 7 grams of fat per ounce	1 ounce
	Soy-based "bacon" strips	3
	Veal, cutlet, no breading	1 ounce
High-fat meats and meat substitutes
	Bacon, pork	2 slices (1 ounce each before cooking)
	Bacon, turkey	3 slices (1/2 ounce each before cooking)
	Cheese, regular: American, bleu, Brie, cheddar, hard goat, Monterey Jack, queso, Swiss	1 ounce
	Hot dog, regular: beef, chicken, pork, turkey or combination	1 (Note: Count an additional fat exchange plus the meat exchange.)
	Luncheon meat, 8 or more grams of fat per ounce: bologna, pastrami, hard salami	1 ounce
	Pork: ground, sausage, spareribs	1 ounce
	Sausage, 8 or more grams of fat per ounce: bratwurst, chorizo, Italian, knockwurst, Polish, smoked, summer	1 ounce

Modified with permission from "Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes," which is the basis of a meal planning system. © 2008 American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association. While designed primarily for people who have diabetes and others who must follow special diets, the exchange lists are based on principles of good nutrition that apply to everyone.

Remember these guidelines for including meat and meat substitutes in your diabetes diet:

Choose lean meat when you can. It's lower in saturated fat, cholesterol and calories.
Weigh the meat after cooking and after removing bone, skin and excess fat. A 3-ounce portion of cooked meat is equal to about 4 ounces of raw meat. A 3-ounce portion of cooked meat is about the size of a deck of cards.
Roast, broil or grill meat on a rack that allows fat to drain off the meat. If you must fry foods, use a nonstick frying pan and nonstick vegetable spray.
If you use fats in cooking, count them as part of your daily fat allowance. If you use starches such as flour, batter, crackers, bread-crumbs or cereal to prepare meat dishes, count them as part of your daily starch allowance. Three tablespoons of one of these starches is 15 grams, or one carbohydrate exchange.

Many plant-based proteins also serve as meat substitutes, although they may count as more than one exchange. Check the food label for details.

Food	Serving size	Count as
Baked beans	1/3 cup	1 starch plus 1 lean meat
Beans, cooked: black, garbanzo, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, white	1/2 cup	1 starch plus 1 lean meat
Edamame	1/2 cup	1/2 carbohydrate plus 1 lean meat
Hummus	1/3 cup	1 carbohydrate plus 1 medium-fat meat
Lentils, cooked: brown, green, yellow	1/2 cup	1 starch plus 1 lean meat
Peanut butter	1 tablespoon	1 high-fat meat
Peas, cooked: black-eyed, split, green	1/2 cup	1 starch plus 1 lean meat
Refried beans, canned	1/2 cup	1 starch plus 1 lean meat
Soy-based "chicken" nuggets	2 (1 1/2 ounces)	1/2 carbohydrate plus 1 medium-fat meat
Soy-based hot dog	1 (1 1/2 ounces)	1/2 carbohydrate plus 1 lean meat
Soy-based "sausage" patties	1 (1 1/2 ounces)	1 medium-fat meat
Soy burger	1 (3 ounces)	1/2 carbohydrate plus 2 lean meats
Soy nuts, unsalted	1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce)	1/2 carbohydrate plus 1 medium-fat meat
Tempeh	1/4 cup	1 medium-fat meat
Tofu, light	1/2 cup (4 ounces)	1 lean meat
Tofu, regular	1/2 cup (4 ounces)	1 medium-fat meat

Exchange list: Meat and meat substitutes

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