Chef Pete lays out the law on the red stuff. Outlining why red meat shouldn’t be vilified as much as it is, and how to pick the good stuff next time you are out at the store.
Many people shun red meat or beef because they believe (or have heard) that it isn’t good for you or contains much higher amounts of fat, particularly saturated fat. While beef typically does contain more fat than fish and chicken/turkey, it can also become a valuable part of your diet and can be a whopper of a source of protein and good fats if you know the right kind to buy. The best possible beef to buy is lean, USDA Grade A, grass-fed beef.
• Beef doesn’t necessarily have to contain more fat than other protein sources; there are lean cuts of beef available (95%, 98% fat free, etc.) that make the beef almost as lean as a chicken breast.
• Using Grade A beef ensures that you are getting the best quality possible in the meat, regarding the marbling (fat distribution) and maturity of the meat. These qualities affect the tenderness, juiciness and flavor of the meat and you want to get the very best available.
• Studies have shown that beef that is grass-fed as opposed to grain-fed contains much higher levels of polyunsaturated fats, in particular Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These fats serve several important functions in your body but are fairly rare, so having another good source of them (like your nice, juicy steak) can only be a good thing.
A really good quality, lean cut of grass-fed beef actually looks more nutritionally similar to a piece of salmon than the typical greasy burger or steak that people usually associate with the word “beef”. Make sure you look for the terms above, and there’s absolutely no reason you can’t spice up your diet with some red meat. So go on, have your steak and eat it too.
Sources
1. Ponnampalam, FN, Mann, NJ, Sinclair, AJ. Effect of feeding systems on omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid and trans fatty acids in Australian beef cuts: potential impact on human health. Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006;15(1):21-9.
2. http://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading.html
Peter Bauman – Peter is a chef first and personal trainer second. With a background in the biological sciences and degree in psychology, Peter knows how to make food that tastes great and keeps you lean and healthy. On the personal training side Peter takes clients from where they are to where they want to be quickly and effectively.