Wellness

Lean Beef for the New Year

It's that time of year when many people make resolutions to improve aspects of their lives, including their health. If you're looking to eat healthier in 2010, make it your New Year's resolution to include lean beef in your diet. That's right, you can eat lean beef guilt free! Many people have the misconception that beef is bad for their health, because it's a source of saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. While it is true that diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease, beef is not the bad guy. In fact, a lean cut of beef has more heart healthy monounsaturated fats - which can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease - than saturated fats. In addition, the Nebraska Beef Council states that there are 29 lean cuts of beef that you can enjoy as part of a low-fat diet. Beef is considered "lean" if it meets the following criteria: less than 10 of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat or less, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams. Check out how these lean cuts compare to chicken: http://www.nebeef.org/ .

Not only is including lean beef not bad for your health, it actually contains several nutrients that will promote good health. Lean beef is not only an excellent source of protein, but it is also an excellent or good source of nine important nutrients like iron, zinc, and several B-vitamins.

Use these tips when buying and preparing beef to help keep your choices lean:

• Know the clues to lean cuts of beef: "round" and "loin." For example, eye round, top round, top sirloin, and beef tenderloin are all considered lean cuts of beef.
• Shop "select" grades. "Select" for beef has less fat between the muscle; "prime" has the most.
• Buy well-trimmed meat. Just 1/8 inch or less in the outside fat layer.
• To further reduce your fat intake, trim off any visible fat before cooking.
• Buy lean ground beef. Ground round is the leanest, then ground sirloin, then chuck, then regular ground beef. Aim for at least 90% lean ground beef.
• Cook beef using low-fat cooking methods such as grilling, baking, broiling, or roasting.
• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Skip the breading, which adds fat and calories.
• Prepare beef without added fats, or high fat sauces and gravies.

To Learn more about the benefits of beef and to find great recipes, check out the Nebraska Beef Council website: http://www.nebeef.org/

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