Meatballs

Name: Meatballs — balls of minced meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken or a mix), mixed with breadcrumbs, egg, onion and seasonings, and cooked by frying, baking or simmering in sauce. Found in nearly every cuisine, from Swedish köttbullar and Italian-American spaghetti and meatballs, to Greek keftedes, Middle Eastern kofta and Chinese lion's head.

Description

Meatballs are an ancient food, found in recipes from Roman times, and in the cuisines of China, Persia and the Arab world. The Swedish meatball with cream sauce and lingonberries is world famous, and Italian-American meatballs are a staple of spaghetti dinners. Other traditions include Turkish köfte, Dutch gehaktballen, Indian kofta curry and Japanese tsukune.

Meatballs are a way to use up cheaper cuts and stretch meat with bread, grains and vegetables. Shop-bought meatballs, particularly frozen and canned, are processed foods, and can be high in salt, fat and additives, whereas homemade ones are easy to make with whole ingredients.

Main nutrition value

Processed meats provide protein, but they are typically high in salt and saturated fat, and cured products contain added nitrites. Homemade meatballs, with lean meat and vegetables, can be much healthier than commercial ones.

How best to be consumed

Meatballs are cooked through, and best homemade.

1. Cook to 71°C inside, until no pink remains, and the juices run clear, and test with a thermometer.
2. Mix lean mince with grated onion, courgette or carrots, herbs, breadcrumbs and egg.
3. Bake instead of frying, and simmer in a tomato sauce, to add vegetables.
4. Make small meatballs for children, and cut larger ones, to avoid choking.
5. Freeze uncooked or cooked meatballs, and reheat until steaming hot.

Overconsumption could cause…

Meatballs are healthy in moderation, particularly if homemade.

1. Food poisoning (E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter) from undercooked meat, especially minced meat and burgers where bacteria are mixed all the way through, so cook mince to 71°C and use a thermometer.
2. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products. This applies to shop-bought meatballs and sauces.
3. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
4. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week.
5. Allergens such as egg, gluten and milk in the binders and breadcrumbs.

GroupsProcessed MeatHigh proteinHigh saturated fatHigh sodiumRich in vitamin B12

Related foodsHot DogsChorizoChicken NuggetsLuncheon MeatHamCorned Beef

Wikipedia — Meatball, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatball