Discover 11 Essential Nutrients Found in Lean Pork - National Pork Board

Pigs Don’t Fly

and Other Pork Truths

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We’re not trying to brag, but did you know that pork is the world’s most popular protein? That’s right – pork is the most consumed protein in the world.1

Lean Pork

These eight cuts of pork are lean, meaning they contain less than 10 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving3, but they are also versatile in the kitchen and across global cuisines.

New York Pork Chop

Sirloin Pork Chop

Ribeye Pork Chop

Sirloin Pork Roast

New York Pork Roast

Ground Pork, 96% Lean

Porterhouse Pork Chop

Pork Tenderloin

Compared to 30 years ago, pork today has about:

less saturdated fat
 
less fat2
 

Heart-Check Certified

Pork tenderloin and pork sirloin roast, are even certified by the American Heart Association as heart-healthy foods, containing less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams or less of saturated fat and 480 milligrams or less of sodium per serving. Choosing lean pork as part of a balanced diet can help meet requirements for key nutrients Americans are under-consuming, including: potassium, magnesium and choline.

Lean pork is a source of 11 key nutrients.4,5

Excellent source:

  • Protein
  • Vitamin B6 and B12
  • Thiamin
  • Riboflavin
  • Zinc
  • Niacin
  • Selenium

Good source:

  • Choline
  • Phosphorous

You can feel good about choosing lean pork.

Swine have the lowest emissions of any class of livestock and have the ability to feed the world’s population without grazing on deforested land and emitting heat-trapping methane gas.6 Since 1960, farmers have used over 75% less land, 25% less water and 7% less energy, reducing carbon emissions by 8%.

Find More Nutritious Recipes

Fiesta Pork & Walnut Tacos

Mediterranean Grain Bowl with Pork Skewers

Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

Thai Pork and Mango Salad

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1OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook. Meat consumption. Accessed October 15, 2021. https://data.oecd.org/agroutput/meat-consumption.htm
2National Pork Board. USDA Nutrient Data Set for Fresh Pork (Derived from SR), Release 1.1. https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400525/Data/Pork/Pork1-1.pdf
3Specific Cut NDB Numbers: 1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10061 2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10216 3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10217 4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10068 5. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10976 6. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10069 7. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10042 8. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. NDB#10050
4National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23. Based on 3-ounce cooked servings (roasted or broiled), visible fat trimmed after cooking
5U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, 2019. Based on 3-ounce serving cooked pork. NDB# 10093. “Excellent” source: 20% or more of Daily Value; “Good” source: 10-19% of Daily Value
6A Retrospective Assessment of U.S. Pork Production: 1960 to 2015, Univ. of Arkansas, National Pork Board, 2018.