What You Miss Without Nutrient-Rich Lean Beef

(Family Features) - Looking for healthy and tasty meal options your entire family will enjoy? Finding delicious, yet healthful solutions for your family may be as close as your grocer's meat case. Surprised? You may not realize all you miss when you don't include meat in your diet. Beef is a high-quality protein that can help you get more nutrition from your calories, without sacrificing taste.

What's all this about high-quality protein, you ask? The fact is, not all foods contain the same type of protein. Lean meats, eggs and dairy products are considered complete, high-quality sources of protein because they provide the full package of essential amino acids that your body needs to stimulate muscle growth and improve weight management. In fact, research indicates that increasing consumption of high-quality proteins may optimize muscle strength and metabolism, and ultimately improve overall health. But plant proteins such as grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are incomplete sources and can't match up to the nutritional benefits of beef protein.

"Choosing lean beef as a source of high-quality protein can be a calorie-saver," said Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD, executive director of nutrition research at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, which contracts to manage nutrition programs for the Beef Checkoff. "A three-ounce serving of lean beef, which is about the size of a deck of cards, offers the most protein with the fewest calories when compared to plant proteins such as peanut butter, black beans and tofu. You would need to consume two to three times the calories provided in a serving of beef to get an equivalent amount of protein from a veggie burger."

But protein isn't lean beef's only benefit. It's also a nutrient-rich source of several important vitamins and minerals. In fact, you might call lean beef nature's best tasting multivitamin - just one three-ounce serving is a good or excellent source of 10 essential vitamins and minerals including protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, choline, niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin. What's more, there are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean and have less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

Want more great news? Lean beef is affordable, easy to find and a complete recipe for better health. According to recent data, nearly two-thirds of Americans buy cuts of meat that are considered "lean" when they shop for food, which isn't surprising given that the 29 lean cuts include some of Americans' favorites like flank steak, tenderloin, T-bone steak and 95 percent lean ground beef.

Choosing lean beef can help keep your grocery bill lean too. Many of the lean cuts that are popular for everyday cooking, such as those from the round and loin, are comparably priced to other retail cuts. Among the leanest and most popular, the round cuts are incredibly affordable, with an average retail cost of $3.55 per pound-just 89 cents per 3-ounce serving.

Visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for affordable, nutrient-rich recipes, including the Tenderloin, Cranberry and Pear Salad pictured.

Photo as seen in "The Healthy Beef Cookbook," published by John Wiley & Sons

SOURCE:
The Beef Checkoff

St. Patrick's Day Cooking: Save a Pint for the Kitchen

Recipe forCorned Beef with Red Currant-Mustard Sauce

(Family Features) - St. Patrick's Day celebrations are filled with dancing, green decorations, and Irish food and beer. This year, try something new and save a pint for the kitchen.

Traditional St. Paddy's Day favorites, like Irish stout and corned beef and cabbage, can be combined to make a delicious dish even better. Because beer pairs so well with beef, it's only natural to cook with beer.

"Beer adds great flavor to the corned beef brisket, and can be used in other slow-cooked or braised dishes also," says Dave Zino, executive chef for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Braising and stewing are excellent cooking methods when preparing beef such as pot roast, brisket and beef for stew. Typically, you'll want to start by browning the meat in a bit of oil to caramelize and bring out rich beef flavors. However, corned beef brisket does not require browning.

Braising is used with large cuts of beef that are cooked whole, like corned beef brisket. When braising, the meat is simmered slowly in 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid such as beer or water to ensure moist and fork-tender results, for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the roast.

Stewing works best with cubes of beef. When stewing, the cubed meat is simmered for about 1 3/4 hours to 2 1/4 hours in enough liquid to cover the meat and other ingredients such as vegetables, resulting in fork-tender meat and a delicious broth.

Chef Dave also notes beer can serve as a substitute in many recipes. "Beer can also be used in place of wine in recipes and is especially good in beef stews and chilis," he says.

For mealtime inspiration and more beef cooking techniques, flavor pairings, storage guidelines and cooking tips, visit BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com.