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.
Itβs March, and you know what that means β itβs National Nutrition Month!
Every March, a theme is selected to help promote positive nutrition messaging nationwide. This yearβs theme is βGo Further with Foodβ β and Iβm excited to share with yaβll ways that you can do that with beef.
As part of that, Iβve got a sweet free gift (some printable kitchen wall art) and a super fun giveaway (for steaks!). But first, whether making meatballs or grilling a steak, find out how beef truly fits the βgo further with foodβ themeβ¦
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.
Iβve gotten a few funny looks when people find out Iβm 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 providesβ¦
- 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 beefβs nutrient profile visit: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/nutrition/beef-nutrients
[Tweet “DYK lean ground beef is an excellent source of protein? Find out more health benefits of beef.”]Of course, like anything nutritionally, there needs to be overall balance. We know plant-based foods have immense health benefits too, so itβs 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, youβre probably familiar with a sirloin steak β but what about the bavette cut? You know about a chuck roast β but what about the flat iron steak that also comes from the chuck section? There are countless varieties to explore and that means everything thatβs 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 theyβre trying to move it out of the store quickly (before it does hit the use-by date). Sometimes Iβll do βreverse meal planningβ this way β 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 favoritesβ¦
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 β 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 β 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 youβre pumped about the health benefits of beef and all the ways that you can use beef in the kitchen β then Iβve got a fun little gift for you. Itβs free printable kitchen wall art!
Not going to lie β Iβm pretty obsessed with this (and not only because it took me about 5 hours to make something seemingly simple, haha!). Itβs got a fun, old-school feel to it, and itβs also got practical information thatβs helpful to reference. Youβll 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! Itβs 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!
[Tweet “Score a free kitchen wall art printable all about beef for National Nutrition Month!”]Celebrate National Nutrition Month with a Giveaway!
(Drumroll please)β¦.To celebrate National Nutrition Month, weβve got an incredible giveaway going on this month! You can win a prize pack that includes beef swag (Oven mitt, apron, mug, etc.) with a $300 Omaha Steaks gift card. {Total approximate prize value = $400}.
Enter using Rafflecopter below! The giveaway will be open all month and the winner will be notified at the beginning of April. Open to US residents residing in the Northeast, must be age 18 and older.
Don’t forget to check out other great posts about beef from fellow bloggers this month!
Ok, for real the last thing π 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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? Whatβs your favorite health benefit of eating beef? Whatβs your favorite way to utilize beef leftovers?
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Iβve definitely realized after long training runs that if Iβm craving beef my body needs the iron!!
Yes! I haven’t seen any scientific evidence about the cravings and iron, but I hear this from a LOT of female runners!
I don’t personally eat beef myself, but my husband does at times. I don’t miss it, but he still enjoys eating it.
I love that you both can respect each other’s dietary preferences!
This is so interesting. Unfortunately I donβt eat red meat but still cool to read!
Thanks Emily! Good info for some of your clients who do eat meat I’m sure! π
Love this breakdown of such a nutritious food! Love that printable handout
Thanks so much Abbey! That printable took me wayyyy to long to make for something so seemingly simple, lol!
YAY! I am a beef eater!!
Woohoo! π
I stopped eating meat at the beginning of the year, but I can definitely see that there are health benefits to eating beef.
Totally! π
I am a fan of beef but don’t eat it as often as I used to. My husband on the other hand eats it all the time!
There’s definitely room for balance between plant-based meals and meat-based meals!
I’m an Iowa girl, so I was raised on meat and potatoes LOL It’s so versatile and the protein benefits are great.
Haha, all my midwest friends have been saying the same thing to me. Yes, beef is definitely versatile and I love the giant punch of protein it packs!
I haven’t had beef in years. I used to enjoy it, though!
It’s definitely a tasty option – I can see why you used to enjoy it!
I grew up eating steak a couple times/week–and used to eat it frequently as an adult. I rarely eat beef now because it triggers inflammation in my body. But I do love pot roast and we have that occasionally–I’m ok with that!
Mmmmm, pot roast. I love making mine in the crock pot with potatoes, carrots and green beans. So good!
My boys love their beef so even though i am a vegetarian, I make it for them.
I love that you can all respect each other’s preferences!
I swear, I can eat steak every day of the week! I bet we have beef at least 3 times a week on average.
My hubby would say the same thing, haha!
I’m so glad to read about the health benefits of meat because I am a self-proclaimed meat-atarian π I entered the contest and hope to win these great prizes!!
Yay for beef! I don’t eat it quite as often as other proteins (mainly chicken, haha), but I love all the different ideas you have for leftover beef! :] Yay for no food waste!
I don’t love beef (I just never really acquired a taste for most meat), but as I’ve gotten older, my body has needed it more and more. I’ve become much better at cooking it and including it in meals. I think everything, in moderation, has a place in the diet.
I love using leftover meat as the protein on the top of a salad. Its such an easy to make meal, and packed with so much nutrition.
I don’t think I can remember the last time I had beef…I have never been a huge fan, but reading all this nutrition information may just change that for me π
I’ve been cutting back on red meat to try to get my cholesterol under control. And then I came across a recipe for beef jerky – now no cow is safe!
Oooh, I’ve never tried making homemade beef jerky before. I need to know how it comes out if you give it a try!! π
Great information Chrissy!
Any leftover beef from other meals always turns into a stir fry by the end of the week!
Stir fry is such a great way to use up leftover beef!
I like what you said about how lean beef being able to fit in a balanced diet with health benefits. I want to strengthen myself and build up some of my weak muscles. Thank you for the information about how eating some beef will provide protein which is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass.
Sure thing! I’m definitely a fan of beef for that protein to help with muscle strength & recovery. π
It did catch my attention when you said that beef has about 12% value of iron that is responsible for transporting oxygen to your muscles. The last time I had myself checked, I discovered that I don’t have enough iron in my body. I love eating, so it’s ideal for me to buy the type of meat that can make my body healthier. Thanks!
Glad you found the part about iron interesting & helpful! π