Rabbit meat is light, healthy, low-fat, tender and also very tasty.

Rabbit makes you think of traditional stews, such as according to grandmother's recipe. That is delicious, but rabbit is also suitable for fast, modern and light dishes which are popular thanks to the trend of eating lighter and less fat.

Steamed, stir-fried, grilled, barbecued, as a one-pan meal or tajine, Mediterranean or with an exotic touch, a light vegetable dish or a cold dish or salad: anything is possible with rabbit. You can vary with it to your heart’s content and it is suitable in any season. The way to prepare rabbit is best compared to that of chicken.

Rabbit meat can be braised in different ways:

• steam in a saucepan with a cover or in a pressure cooker;
• bake in the oven or a pan;
• steam;
• wok and stir-fry;
• grill on the barbecue.

Tips for preparing rabbit:

• Breasts and medallions of rabbi
  Fry briefly or grill until crunchy (or barbecue). Stir-fry strips in the wok. Coated with breadcrumbs, smoked and cut into little pieces and fried in salads.
• Saddle and shoulder of rabbit
  Fry until golden all over, add an onion, garlic and herbs, quench with wine, stock or bouillon and leave to cook in the oven for about 1 hour. Baste with the juices regularly. Also delicious cooked whole on the barbecue and in tajines.
• Leg of rabbit
  Stew, roast, braise or grill. Legs need cooking for longer, between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on the preparation.

Today's rabbit offer anticipates the demand for ease of use, short preparation times and half-cooked meals, with an emphasis on healthy and tasty food. Rabbit is sold whole or cut into portions ready to use: legs, saddle, shoulders, breasts, medallions. Stuffed cuts and partly prepared dishes or handy, packed traditional dishes that only need reheating are also available. Fast, easy and something to everyone’s taste.

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Rabbit, a healthy choice

Nutritional facts and figures

Important nutrients and few calories

A 100 g portion of rabbit has an average of 150 kcal, is rich in vitamin B12 and high-quality proteins and is a good source of iron. Many women have iron deficiencies. Proteins are important building and maintenance materials for our bodies at any age.

Less fat than you think

A leg of rabbit has the leanest meat (about 4 g of fat per 100 g). The saddle and shoulders have slightly more fat (about 8 and 12 g of fat per 100 g respectively). With an average of around 8 g of fat per 100 g, rabbit is one of the leanest types of meat. In accordance with the guidelines for healthy food that is good for your figure, the leanest variants are preferred. It is best to limit the fat content by removing any fat you can see. Rabbit that is bought in cuts has already had the fat removed.

Better fat than you think

The limited amount of fat in rabbit consists for one third of saturated fatty acids and for almost two thirds out of cholesterol-friendly unsaturated fatty acids. Compared to many other types of meat, rabbit furthermore contains more heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. The favourable composition of the fats and the delicate flavour of rabbit meat is partly the result of the balanced feed of the animals containing amongst other things alfalfa and linseed.

Easily digestible

Bred rabbits are slaughtered young, when they are 12 to 13 weeks old. The meat of these young animals contains little collagen and is therefore tender, juicy and easy to digest. The meat also remains tender during preparation. That is why rabbit is an easily digestible piece of meat.
A rabbit dish is mainly easily digestible when the recipe does not contain any 'heavy ingredients'. The use of much cream, butter and fat bacon makes the dish more rich in fat and less digestible. A light and healthy recipe is preferable.

Nutritional value of rabbit meat

Nutritional value per 100 g of rabbit (average) *1		% ADI *2
Energy	153 kcal	7,7 %
Proteins	20 g	40 %
Fats (total)  - saturated fatty acids  - mono-unsaturated fatty acids  - poly-unsaturated fatty acids  - omega-3 fatty acids/td>	8 g 3 g 2,1 g 2,8 g 0,6 g	12 % 13,5 % 9,4 % 12,6 % 30 %
Cholesterol	64 mg	21,3 %
Iron	4,3 mg	30,7 %
Potassium	376 mg	12,5 %
Phosphorous	247 mg	30,9 %
Zinc	2,2 mg	14,7 %
Selenium	43 µg	61,4 %
Vitamin B12	2,3 µg	230 %

(*1) average of a rabbit thigh and rabbit medallion - source: Belgische Voedingsmiddelentabel, Nubel, fifth edition, 2nd print, September 2009
(*2) % ADI (acceptable daily intake) indicates to what degree 100 g of rabbit contributes to the daily requirement of vitamins, minerals and proteins and to what you should ingest per day of energy, fats, saturated fatty acids and cholesterol (90/496/EEC Directive and Nutrition recommendations for Belgium, HGR 2009). The guidelines apply for an average adult and are calculated per 2000 kcal.