Chorizo is a good choice

Chorizos are usually available in stores or in the market. Spanish chorizos can usually be purchased sliced, by the pound like other deli meats, but are also sometimes available by the whole chub. Some manufacturers also make smaller, more reasonable chubs that are six to twelve inches in length.

His sausage imparts a variety of value for a healthy meal plan, including protein, vitamins and minerals. It is quite high in fat – 38.2 grams per serving – so weigh the advantages against the disadvantages. Chorizo is a good choice for upping your intake of protein. A 3.5-ounce serving of this sausage provides 24.1 grams of protein, and because chorizo is made from animal sources – beef and pork – it contributes the gamut of essential amino acids required for tissue repair and food breakdown.

 The National Institutes of Health recommends getting between 50 and 65 grams of protein in your diet each day, or 10 to 35 percent of the calories you consume. Contains Vitamin B-12

Introduce a portion of chorizo into your diet, and you get 2 micrograms of vitamin B-12, a nutrient that plays an important role in nerve function. The daily recommended intake of vitamin B-12 stands at 2.4 micrograms for adult men and women, although you need 2.6 to 2.8 micrograms if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. In addition to its influence on your nerves, vitamin B-12 helps your body use iron.

A study published in the April 2011 issue of “Nutrition in Clinical Practice” indicates that celiac disease may trigger a vitamin B-12 deficiency, so eating chorizo may be a good option for your diet if you suffer from this condition. Look for gluten-free chorizo, though, so it does not aggravate your condition.

Proclaiming the health benefits of Spanish chorizo sounds almost like a contradiction in terms. After all chorizo is a sausage of sorts and what sausage ever made it onto a health food list? However when you are putting together a balanced and nutritious diet, there is no reason why a good quality Spanish chorizo should not be included on the list in moderation.Most good quality chorizo is made from a mixture of the lean pork loin balanced with fattier belly pork, which is essential to the flavor and curing process of the meat and without which it would be tough and dry. Unlike some other types of sausage, it is not just a dumping ground for all the leftover bits of the pig and it tends to have much less fat than Mexican chorizo, just enough to produce the perfect result.

Chorizo cured for tapas tends to have less fat than the softer chorizos intended for cooking with, so if you are cutting down on your fat intake choose a firm, leaner chorizo. Chorizo serves as a rich source of essential minerals, including selenium and zinc. Selenium protects your cells from damaging free radicals by activating antioxidant enzymes, and helps you make thyroid hormones. Zinc plays a role in cell communication, nourishes your cell membranes and activates almost 100 enzymes important to your health. A serving of chorizo contains 18 micrograms of selenium and 2.9 milligrams of zinc. This provides one-third of your daily selenium requirements, as well as 36 percent of the daily zinc requirements for women or 26 percent for men, according to the Institute of Medicine.

By: Mary Grace Catalan