What are the health benefits of beef?

Curious about the health benefits of beef, and how to use beef in new ways?  Find out in this post!

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by The Beef Checkoff.  As always, all opinions are my own.

It’s March, and you know what that means – it’s National Nutrition Month!

Every March, a theme is selected to help promote positive nutrition messaging nationwide.  This year’s theme is “Go Further with Food” – and I’m excited to share with ya’ll ways that you can do that with beef.

As part of that, I’ve got a sweet free gift (some printable kitchen wall art).  But first, whether making meatballs or grilling a steak, find out how beef truly fits the “go further with food” theme…

Health Benefits of Beef

Nutritionally, beef packs a powerful punch of many essential nutrients that help active folks go further when it comes to workout recovery and maintaining overall health.

I’ve gotten a few funny looks when people find out I’m an RD that supports a reasonable amount of red meat consumption.  But there is so much misinformation out there when it comes to meat and health.  The majority of negative health outcomes that people think are associated with red meat are in actuality associated with highly processed meats (think of overdoing items like bacon or hot dogs).

On the contrary, lean beef (whether whole or ground) can certainly fit in a balanced diet, and has several health benefits.  A 3-ounce cooked serving of cooked lean beef provides…

• Approximately 25 grams of protein, which is essential for building and maintain muscle mass as well as helping you feel satisfied after meals.
• About 44% of the daily value for B12, involved in energy metabolism and brain function.
• About 36% of the daily value for zinc, which helps maintain a healthy immune system.
• About 12% of the daily value for iron, which is key for transporting oxygen to your muscles (and many female athletes may fall a bit short in this nutrient).

For an overview of beef’s nutrient profile visit: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/nutrition/beef-nutrients 

Of course, like anything nutritionally, there needs to be overall balance.  We know plant-based foods have immense health benefits too, so it’s wise to include a mixture of plant-based and meat-based meals in your diet.

Getting Creative with Cuts of Beef

From a cooking standpoint, there are an enormous number of different cuts of beef and ways to prepare those cuts. 

For example, you’re probably familiar with a sirloin steak – but what about the bavette cut?  You know about a chuck roast – but what about the flat iron steak that also comes from the chuck section?  There are countless varieties to explore and that means everything that’s cut from one cow can really help people to go further with cooking variety.

In fact, one of my favorite things to do is to hit up the grocery store and look for meat markdowns.  The meat is still good, but they’re trying to move it out of the store quickly (before it does hit the use-by date).  Sometimes I’ll do “reverse meal planning” this way – i.e buying the meat and then figuring out what to make with it.  This exposes me to different cuts of beef that I might not have otherwise purchased, at a great price that helps me stretch my budget.  (Just remember to cook it or freeze it the day you buy it).

Leveraging Beef Leftovers

Beef is also incredibly versatile when it comes to leftovers!  You can stretch extra beef in many ways, helping you to go further with your food budget.  Here are just a couple ideas using leftovers of a few common favorites…

Leftover ground beef:

• Add it to a whole wheat tortilla with cheese, avocado, and bell peppers to make a quesadilla.
• Toss it in pasta sauce to serve on whole wheat spaghetti, spaghetti squash, or zoodles.
• Make stuffed bell peppers or zucchini boats.
• One word: TACOS.

Leftover shredded meat:

• Put it on top of a salad. My favorite is one with greens, corn, black beans, tomatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and pot roast – all topped with a southwestern style dressing!
• Add it to a grilled cheese with caramelized onions and roasted red peppers.
• Create and easy burrito bowl. You can go classic with rice, beans, & pico de gallo – or you can get a little fancy with quinoa, mango & avocado.
• Top a sweet potato with your leftover beef & drizzle on some BBQ sauce.

Leftover grilled steak:

• Slice it thin and add it to a caprese salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic.
• Chop it into bite size pieces and add it to a veggie omelet. Toss in a little cheddar for max flavor!
• Cut it up and make a tasty beef & barley soup.
• Toss it in a pan with some veggies, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce for a quick & easy stir fry.

Love Beef?  Enjoy This Free Printable Kitchen Wall Art!

If you’re pumped about the health benefits of beef and all the ways that you can use beef in the kitchen – then I’ve got a fun little gift for you.  It’s free printable kitchen wall art!

Not going to lie – I’m pretty obsessed with this (and not only because it took me about 5 hours to make something seemingly simple, haha!).  It’s got a fun, old-school feel to it, and it’s also got practical information that’s helpful to reference.  You’ll find a list of lean cuts, cooking temperatures for food safety, and an easy spicy seasoning mix recipe.

Just click here to download this free beef printable kitchen wall art!  It’s designed as an 18×24 print, but you can also just print it in standard size on your home printer.  If you want a bigger print, you can get it printed off at a copy shop!

More Great Beef Posts

Ok, for real the last thing 😉  We’ve got a great group of bloggers participating in this National Nutrition Month campaign, and I’d love for you to head on over and check out their posts too!  Everyone has something unique to add to the table, whether it’s a recipe, activity, nutrition info, and more.  I’ll be updating this throughout the month as their posts go live.

1. Fresh Homemade Cheesy Beef A Roni from Brooklyn Active Mama – Check out this cheesy, delicious recipe that Schnelle put together!  She talks about the challenges of being a special needs mom – like food requests! – and how she’s conquering them with recipes like this.
2. Fun Facts About Beef: Nutrients, Recipes, and a Free Printable Placemat from Mama Teaches – This post highlights some of the key nutrients in beef and Brandi shares a few links to favorite recipes.  My favorite thing by far in her post though is an adorable printable beef activity placemat for kids!
3. Understanding Beef Labeling + Pineapple Beef Stir Fry Recipe from RDelicious Kitchen – Confused about the difference between natural, organic, and grass fed beef?  Julie, a fellow RD blogger, helps clear up the confusion and breaks down all the beef labeling terms out there!  Plus, find a delicious recipe for a pineapple beef stir fry.
4. 25 Easy Ground Beef Recipes from Midlife Healthy Living – If there’s one form of beef that I always seem to stock up on during sales, it’s lean ground beef!  I love this roundup of 25 recipes using ground beef, from breakfast burritos to taco cornbread casserole!

Share with me:  Are you a beef fan too?  What’s your favorite health benefit of eating beef?  What’s your favorite way to utilize beef leftovers?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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