Lamb, like other red meats, is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and its high-quality protein is nutritionally complete, providing all eight essential amino acids in the right proportions. A 3-ounce serving represents 43% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein for an adult male. Lamb is also a prime source of absorbable iron, and high in B vitamins and zinc.
Lamb, compared to other meat, has little marbling – the internal fat you find within the meat. Most of the fat is on the outside, and so is readily trimmed, reducing the calories. A 3-ounce serving produces only 176 calories, just 7% of the recommended daily intake for an adult male. Most of this fat is the “good” mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, only 36% being saturated. Lamb does not contain any carbohydrates.
Lamb is a very rich source of CLA, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a powerful antioxidant thought to resist cancer and promote weight control. The human body does not produce CLA – it is only produced by bacteria in the stomachs of herbivores like cattle and sheep.
The tender and mild-flavored meat from a young sheep less than one year old is called “lamb”. That from an older sheep is called “mutton”. Much stronger-tasting, it is preferred in some countries, but not favored much in the US. In Australia and New Zealand, the yearling mutton known as “hogget”, with a taste between lamb and mutton, is most popular, coming from sheep between 1 and 2 years old.
The yearly consumption of lamb in the US is less than 1 pound per person, compared to almost 40 pounds per capita in New Zealand. But this market is growing and domestically under-supplied. Most immigrants to the US today come from countries where lamb and mutton are commonly eaten, and the consequent demand for those meats is currently met by imports.
More Nutritional Information:
Links to further nutritional information on Katahdin Meat by the Saskatchewan Katahdin Sheep Association:
Katahdin Sheep - Nutritional Info
Katahdin Sheep - Nutritional Analysis