SUPER MEAT
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Livestock officers launching rabbit meat eating
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By all appearance rabbit could be the food of the future. Touted for years by food activists including Michael Pollan, these fluffy herbivores eat alfalfa instead of energy-intensive soy or fish meal, grow quickly and thrive in clean, disease-free conditions.
Cheek et al. (1987) described rabbit meat as a wholesome tasty product. Compared with most other meat, such as beef, chicken, lamb and pork it is high in protein and low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The meat is white, fine-grained, delicately flavored, nutritious, and appetizing and can be prepared in over 300 different ways (USDA 1963).
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| roasted rabbit and sauce |
Is rabbit meat healthy?
By now we all know that eating a lot of meat-especially factory-farmed meat isn't very good for the planet. Fortunately for meat eaters, some meats are more sustainable than others. And as it turns out, rabbit is one of the healthiest and environment friendly meats you can eat.
Because Cholesterol and fat level in rabbit meat is much lower than chicken, turkey, beef, and pork, the meat has been used and is suitable for special diets, such as those for heart disease patients, diets for the aged, low sodium diets, weight reduction diets, etc.
Rabbit meat is categorized under white meat and it is fine in texture. Rabbit meat can be prepared in the same way as chicken meat – grilled, roasted, fried or stewed.
Another advantage to eating rabbit, which is also why health experts recommend it over red meat, is the lower number of calories that it contains.
The meat has high percentage of easily digestible protein. Cholesterol and fat level much lower than chicken, turkey, beef, and pork. For this reason rabbit meat has been used and is suitable for special diets such as those for heart disease patients, diets for the aged, low sodium diets, weight reduction diets, etc.
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| Fresh rabbit meat on cutting board |
The rabbit has immense potentials and good attributes, which include high growth rate, high efficiency in converting forage to meat, short gestation period, and high prolificacy, relatively low cost of production, high nutritional quality of rabbit meat; which includes low fat, sodium, and cholesterol levels. Its high protein level is of about 20.8% and its consumption is bereft of cultural and religious biases (Biobaku and Oguntona, 1997).
There are so many health benefits to eating rabbit meat. It is healthy and cheap to produce.
