Unless you’re vegetarian, you probably eat beef and give little thought to its many health benefits. Because May is Beef Month, here’s a beef brief.
Beef keeps good nutrition company. For less than 200 calories, a 3-ounce lean beef serving offers plenty of nutrition. Consider the Daily Values: protein (50%), zinc (39%), vitamin B„ (37%), niacin (a B vitamin) (18%), vitamin B, (16%), and iron (14%). Nutrition brush-up: Zinc is needed for cell growth and repair, immunity, and hormone action; B vitamins, for releasing food’s energy; and iron, for taking oxygen to cells, including muscles, to make energy.
There’s more. Beef has two unique fatty acids: conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), perhaps with cancer-fighting qualities; and stearic acid, a saturated fat that doesn’t act like one, with no effect on blood cholesterol, perhaps even lowering it.
Make a quick beef dish today. Start by buying lean meat (round and loin cuts); keep portions sensible (size of a deck of cards, about half of what you need daily) for less fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
- Cook low-fat and quick. Cut lean boneless sirloin in thin strips to stir-fry with vegetables.
- Buy heat-and-eat. Reheat a fully cooked boneless pot roast, and serve with veggies and rice, pasta, or whole-grain bread. Save leftovers for tomorrow’s sandwiches.
- Make a salad tonight. Toss a hearty chef’s salad, topped with strips of lean deli beef.
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