A scientific ranking of the world's 100 most nutritious foods has placed pork fat ahead of several well-known fruits and vegetables, including green peas, tomatoes and oranges.
In the league table, pork fat scored 73 out of 100 for nutritional value, breaking into the top 10 and outperforming foods such as green peas, tomatoes and mackerel. Researchers calculated more than a thousand foods to create the ranking, with the score indicating how likely a given food would meet daily nutritional needs when eaten in combination with others.
Why pork fat is considered nutritious
Pork fat is a rich source of B vitamins and minerals. It contains monounsaturated fats such as oleic acid, which is also found in olive oil and is known to be beneficial for heart health. The fat also contains some saturated fats, as well as more unsaturated fat than beef or lamb fat.
How the pigs were reared can affect the nutritional benefit. Pork fat is a good source of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin D, particularly when the pigs have been raised outdoors, according to Surrey Live. Pork fat from pasture-raised pigs tends to be the healthier option because it has more nutrients.
Pork fat versus lard
Pork fat and lard are not the same thing, despite being closely related. Pork fat is raw fat from pigs and is not typically used directly in recipes unless making sausage or grinding it into a dish. Lard, on the other hand, is pig fat that has been melted down and strained, producing a shelf-stable or fridge-stable ingredient that can be used in place of butter, oil or shortening.
Top of the list
Almonds topped the list with a nutritional score of 97, while pork fat scored 73. Notably, no other animal fat or meat featured on the list. Ocean perch claimed the top fish position, coming third overall with a score of 89 out of 100. According to Facts.net, 100g of this fish contains just 79 calories but delivers around 20 grams of protein. The deep-water fish, also referred to as rockfish, is low in saturated fats.
The full top 20 includes almonds (97), cherimoya (96), ocean perch (89), flatfish (88), chia seeds (85), pumpkin seeds (84), Swiss chard (78), pork fat (73), beet greens (70), snapper (69), dried parsley (69), celery flakes (68), watercress (68), tangerines (67), green peas (67), pike (65), Alaska pollock (65), green onion (65), red cabbage (65) and Pacific cod (64).
