Welcome to a four-part series written in partnership with the Missouri Beef Industry Council! This series will explore beef nutrition, beef’s role in sustainability, how cattle are raised for beef, and delicious ways to enjoy beef in your home kitchen. In Part One, we take a closer look at the facts about beef nutrition.

Did you know May is officially Beef Month? I’m teaming up with the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC) to share more about beef nutrition in the first post in my “Meat of the Matter” series. Look for Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 coming soon!

Why talk about beef? Well, if you’ve followed me here for a while, you know I love learning more about food and where it comes from. And if you’re new here, welcome! I grew up in a rural area and spent years of my childhood watching my dad care for a small herd of beef cattle. Many of our neighbors, friends, and family were also involved in agriculture in some way but I still didn’t learn much about it until after I became a registered dietitian.

If you want to see some examples of the different ways I’ve tried to connect with farmers and our food system, I recommend these posts for further reading:

• • Where Does Food Come From?
  • What Does the Future of Food Look Like?
  • Home Runs Fighting Hunger & What I Learned On A Pig Farm

I’ve done quite a bit of learning and reading, both on my own and with the support of farmers, ranchers, fellow dietitians, and more and I’m excited to share some of it with you!

Let’s get started with one of my favorite topics: nutrition!

Is beef a healthy food?

No matter how you slice it, beef is a nutrient-dense food that offers a flavorful package of protein, nutrients, and energy. In just a single 3-oz. serving size, which is about the size of an iPhone, beef provides a good source of 10 essential nutrients and about half your Daily Value of protein.

Looking beyond protein, beef also contains important minerals and B-vitamins:

• Minerals:  iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, selenium
• B-vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), vitamin B6, vitamin B12

Each of these nutrients plays an important role in human health, whether that’s growth and development, immune function, cognitive function, optimizing performance and recovery, and many other functions we often take for granted.

What are the benefits of eating beef?

So now it’s time to talk about what all these nutrients in beef mean for our health.

Let’s start with the big one: protein. Most Americans aren’t at risk of a protein deficiency, even if they choose to get most or all of their protein from a plant-based diet. However, the protein in beef is an essential protein, meaning it contains all the amino acids that can’t be produced by our bodies.

Beef Nutrition and Protein

Protein does more than just support our muscles. It also plays a role in:

• Transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout our body
• The growth and repair of our organs, tissues, and bones
• Supporting a healthy immune system to fight disease and infections
• The healing process for cuts, bruises, or other injuries and illness
• Satiety, or that feeling of fullness when you eat a meal or snack

Beef Nutrition and Iron

But protein isn’t the only standout nutrient in beef. Iron is another important one, and a small steak provides about 13% of the recommended daily allowance. Iron deficiency is a major health challenge around the world. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that more than three million Americans have chronic anemia. Anemia is a serious condition that impairs the oxygen-transporting ability of red blood cells. It can lead to low energy levels and impair fetal development in pregnant women. Many of these Americans with chronic anemia are women of child-bearing age and people with chronic diseases, and the prevalence of anemia has been holding steady since the 1980s despite growing awareness and efforts to make iron supplements more available.

In addition to consuming more iron, it’s also helpful to consume iron in the heme (vs. non-heme) form. The heme form is bound to a protein called hemoglobin and is present in meat such as beef. Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods like lentils or legumes/beans. Heme iron is more readily absorbed by the body, so a smaller total amount of iron is needed in your diet when it comes mostly from animal sources. Beef is an easy-to-find, affordable, and appetizing way to include more heme iron in your diet.

Beef Nutrition and Saturated Fat

Finally, I want to point out some facts about the saturated fat in beef.

I have a lot of conversations with people who mistakenly think all of the fat in beef is saturated (vs. unsaturated). We often hear that unsaturated fatty acids are more heart-healthy, and while that is true, it’s important to note that less than half of the total fat content in lean red meat is saturated. The government guidelines for “lean meats” require them to have no more than 4.5 grams of saturated fatty acids and less than 10 grams of total fat per serving. There are 29 cuts of beef that meet those guidelines, including 95% lean ground beef.

Of the saturated fatty acids in beef, more of those fatty acids are a type called stearic acid, which does not show an effect on cholesterol levels. And since less than half the fat in beef is saturated, we know there is also plenty of heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids included as well. That includes omega-3 fatty acids, one of the most researched nutrients within all of nutrition science. Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential nutrient also found in fish, seafood, and plant-based sources of fat like nuts, seeds, and oils, and they play an important role in heart health.

Interestingly, due to the saturated fat content of beef, it’s less perishable than some other animal proteins. Compared to unsaturated fats, which are more susceptible to going rancid, the saturated fat in beef makes it more ideal for storing in the refrigerator or freezer for longer periods of time. Beef thawed from frozen generally retains it’s palatability and quality as well, meaning it can help stretch your grocery dollars further and reduce the amount of food waste due to freezer burn or spoilage.

Why is beef a healthy choice?

In addition to straight-forward nutrition facts about beef, I’d like you to consider another, more nuanced aspect of beef nutrition: beef nutrition is more than beef itself.

What do I mean by that?

I mean that beef plays well with other foods, many of which have their own rich flavor and nutrient density to offer when they appear on our plates. A meal consisting of any one single food is unlikely to be as appetizing or enjoyable as one that includes a variety of ingredients, flavors, and textures. Likewise, having more variety in ingredients, flavors, and textures means we’ll consume a greater variety of nutrients, too.

As a dietitian, I often find myself reminding people that we don’t eat nutrients, we eat food. In the world of nutrition science, it’s easy to get bogged down with a focus on individual nutrients and a desire to optimize each gram of each nutrient as much as we possibly can. What often gets left behind in this process is the enjoyment and satisfaction factor.

The reality is, people have a long history with meat, including beef, that spans centuries in history. Beef in America, in particular, is associated with abundance, nostalgia, and tradition. We can also blame (or thank) our biology. Human taste buds have receptors that clue us into the presence or absence of important nutrients. Whether it’s sweetness to indicate energy in the form of sugars and carbohydrates, amino acids and salts to indicate proteins and minerals, or the mouthfeel and texture of fats, our individual and collective taste preferences developed with survival in mind.

Beef is not the only food that provides essential nutrients. But when enjoyed in mixed dishes like hearty stews, crisp and crunchy salads, seared burgers, or family-favorite casseroles and skillet meals, it has the potential to deliver something else that’s just as essential to health as physical fullness: true satisfaction.

I’m a vocal advocate for intuitive eating and work to support people who want to make informed and empowered food choices. Many of our beliefs about food and nutrition are rooted in misinformation, fear, or a dieting mindset. Beef, unfortunately, is a food commonly regarded as something we should consume less of. The evidence, however, simply doesn’t support that there is a nutrition or health-related reason to avoid it. In fact, as you’ve seen here, there are numerous benefits to regularly including it in your meals. Nutrition is one half of the equation, but enjoyment and satisfaction are essential for meals that support our total health, not just our physical health.

Think of it as the secret ingredient that takes a meal from “good” to “great” – next time you serve a meal with beef on your plate, you’ll see what I mean!

And of course, don’t stray too far if you’re looking for some delicious ways to enjoy beef in easy home-cooked recipes! Here are a few personal favorites:

• One-Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
• Instant Pot Five Can Chili
• Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
• Seared Skirt Steak with Roasted Red Pepper Relish