Mince can get a bad reputation when it’s associated with cheaper, fattier cuts of meat and is often the most inexpensive red meat available. Being of animal origin most of the fat present is saturated and this is commonly regarded as a ‘bad’ fat as it’s  linked to heart disease, high cholesterol and certain cancers. 

In defence of mince, being red meat it has a high haem iron content. Iron is a key component in haemoglobin, which enables blood to carry oxygen and is an essential nutrient. A lack of iron can make you feel tired and breathless. The presence of vitamin C can enhance the absorption of both haem and non-haem iron, hence why consuming vitamin C rich foods (like tomatoes, red capsicum and citrus fruits, including citrus juices) at the same time as iron rich foods will improve iron absorption. 

Premium mince has less fat compared to ‘standard’ mince. Premium mince is defined as being 95% visual lean meat while ‘standard’ mince is defined as being at least 85% visual lean meat. Check the label on the pack to see which sort you are buying.

When you’re cooking mince it’s an excellent idea to add a selection of vegetables….however your toddler may not agree. This is where you can get creative and grate or puree the vegetables to add vitamin C and fibre and disguise the vegetables in your mince. For example:
• when adding a tin of chopped tomatoes put them through the blender first to make them smooth so no-one can pick out the lumps.
• use a pottle of tomato puree instead of tinned tomatoes - just add water to dilute the puree.
• grate carrot and zucchini and add to the mixture.
• finely chop onion, mushroom and garlic and brown these with the meat.
• some children like peas and sweet corn mixed into their mince mixture.
Check out a basic mince recipe here.

Often at the supermarket you’ll see larger packs of mince sold at a reduced price. It’s worth buying one of these, cooking up a big batch of mince and freezing some for another meal, or portioning out then freezing all portions for use at a later date. You can pull the cooked mince out of the freezer for one of those days when you need a nutritious meal in a hurry. Here  are some ideas of quick mince dishes you can whip up with minimum effort:

• Nachos – put a layer of corn chips on a plate and top with hot mince and grated cheese. You can add a can of red kidney beans to the mince before heating. Adults may like this with a dollop of reduced fat sour cream and a tomato based salsa or avocado guacamole.
• Lasagne – everyone loves lasagne! Either make it when you cook the mince and freeze, or you can make with defrosted mince mixture.
• Cannelloni – either stuff the pre-made tubes or use fresh lasagne sheets and roll them around the mince mixture.
• Spaghetti Bolognaise – the easiest dish around! Simply cook up the pasta and heat up the mince then serve with grated cheese.
• Chilli con carne – add a can of red kidney beans to the mince and serve over rice. For adults add some chilli and a spoon of fat- reduced sour cream.
• Cornish pasties – cut rounds from savoury pastry sheets, put a spoonful of mince in the middle, bring up the edges and pinch together. Brush with milk and bake to make cute little pasties.
• Stuffed capsicums – hollow out capsicums, fill with mince and bake. Serve with rice and some gated cheese.
• Bolognaise pizza – spread the mince mixture on a pizza base. Sprinkle with oregano and cheese and bake in the oven until golden.
• Shepherd’s pie – top the mince mixture with mashed potato, sprinkle with cheese and bake.
• Mini pies – line a Texas muffin tin with savoury pastry, fill with the mince mixture and top with grated cheese. Either top with pastry or leave open and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Burritos – using flour tortillas roll your own burritos with fillings like mince, lettuce, grated carrot, grated cheese, diced tomato, sliced avocado, tomato salsa and reduced fat sour cream.

Endorsed by our New World Nutritionist  ||   Proudly Partnering with Parents Centre

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