Fatty acid profiles derived from Slover, et al. Of the major pork cuts presented in Table 3, the caloric contribution provided by fat ranges from a low of 84 calories to a high of 148 kcals per 3 oz. serving. Spare ribs is an exception in that it provides 233 kcals per 3 oz. serving of cooked lean and fat. Fresh pork is a nutrient-dense food, meaning simply that it makes a greater contribution to a number of nutrient needs than to the energy requirements. Thus one can properly describe pork as a very nutritious food in that it is nutrient dense in more than four nutrients.
Pork is a versatile food, and a high proportion of pork is consumed as processed meat.
It is therefore, important to look also at the processed meat component of the diet. The contribution of fresh pork to nutrient needs is well supported by the nutrient profiles for fresh pork lean contained in Table 4 as is true for processed pork as well. The composite of consumed pork in the United States in 1987 is presented in Table 4. Americans ingested about 1.5 oz. of pork per person per day in a combination of fresh and processed forms. In this regard, pork contributes a higher percentage of the required iron, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, nia- cin, vitamin B12 and protein than its contribution to those energy needs.