As popular as steaks and hamburgers are, red meat has a bad reputation in the health world. Ask any doctor or nutritionist about healthy eating and they'll likely advise you to eat less red meat and more fiber.

Nutritionists told Parade whether red meat is healthy or not and how eating it regularly can affect the body. 

When determining whether red meat is healthy, it's important to know exactly what type of meat we're talking about. Nutritionist Patricia Coles explained that red meat refers to muscle meats such as beef, veal, pork and lamb.

"Although red meat has generated controversy in recent years, it can be included in a balanced diet," she says. She argues that this meat contains nutrients such as protein, iron and zinc that are not found in many other types of food.

"Red meat is one of the best sources of heme iron, a form of iron that is highly bioavailable and easily absorbed by the body. This makes it especially valuable for people with low iron levels or iron deficiency," said nutritionist Christina Illien.

At the same time, she recommends eating red meat no more than twice a week. | BGNES