Nutrition Information

Beef is a power pack of nutrients that benefits people of all ages in maintaining both day-to-day and long-term health. A 3 oz. serving of beef is an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin. This is quite a nutritional bargain for the small calorie investment of less than 10% of the Daily Value for calories.

 

• Beef's fatty acid profile is generally misunderstood. Nearly half the fat in beef is monounsaturated, the same heart healthy fat found in olive oil that is championed by health professionals for its cholesterol lowering ability.
• The saturated fat in beef is unique. Almost half is stearic acid, a type of fat that does not raise blood cholesterol levels.
• The amount of saturated fat in lean beef is comparable to that of chicken and fish. In fact, beef's six leanest cuts have only one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast. But beef has six times more zinc, three times more iron and eight times more vitamin B12.
• To find the leanest cuts of beef, look for the word "round" or "loin" in the name of the cut. For nutrition information on specific cuts of beef, click here.

 

Safety Information

 

Wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds before preparing beef (or any food).

Keep raw meat from coming into contact with other foods during preparation. Wash your hands and all utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat.

Never chop fresh vegetables or salad ingredients on a cutting board that was used for raw meat without properly cleaning it first. If possible, use a separate cutting board for the sole preparation of raw meat, poultry and fish.

Carefully wash cutting boards and knives with hot soapy water and then sanitize with a solution of household bleach and water. Some cutting boards can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

 

• Beef is the #1 food source of protein, zinc and vitamin B12 in the American Diet according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (May 1998, Volume 98 Number 5)
• Beef supplies high-quality protein, complete with all nine essential amino acids.
• Beef is one of the most important dietary sources of iron. To obtain the same amount of iron found in a 3 oz. serving of beef, you'd have to eat at least 3 cups of raw spinach.
• A 3 oz. serving of beef provides 39% of the Daily Value for zinc. You would need to eat more than eleven 3 oz. servings of tuna to get the same amount of zinc in one 3 oz. serving of beef.
• Beef contains significant amounts of the B-complex vitamins, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, B6 and B12.

 

The information on this page is courtesy of the Texas Beef Council