The Power of Lean Protein
Eating protein-rich foods, like lean Canadian beef, with your meals and snacks may help curb hunger between meals. A number of studies have found protein can help keep you feel full between meals, more so than either carbohydrate or fat. That’s why adding lean protein to meals and snacks, or bumping up the amount of protein you eat, may help with appetite control and weight loss. This can help you resist those urges to reach for unhealthy snacks between meals. And, since protein may help curb your hunger, it may help control your calorie intake and lose more weight. Research has also shown our bodies naturally burn a few more calories when we eat protein compared to fats or carbohydrates. It has also been shown weight loss diets rich in lean protein can help improve blood triglyceride (fat) and blood glucose (sugar) levels. This is great if want to lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Pick Nutrient-Rich
Most Canadians eat an abundance of foods, but many of us don’t get the nutrients we need for good health. By picking nutrient-rich foods you are getting more bang for your bite. Nutrient-rich foods, like lean Canadian beef, have high levels of nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals for the fewest calories. For example, if you only focus on calories, both a banana and 10 potato chips have about the same amount. But if you look at the nutrients each offers, the banana provides vitamin B6, potassium, fibre, vitamin C and folate (to name just a few) while the potato chips offer very few nutrients. It’s a matter of picking those foods that are nutrient-rich – in this case, the banana is the more nutrient-rich choice. Another great example, lean and extra lean ground beef have the same maximum fat content as lean ground chicken and turkey however, the lean beef contains 25% more zinc. Build your daily eating plan on a variety of nutrient-rich foods first.
Beef Up Your Nutrient Knowledge
Healthy eating is a matter of variety, balance and moderation. Foods work together to supply you with more than 50 nutrients needed for good health. For this reason, following Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide is the best way to ensure you are meeting your daily vitamin, mineral and nutrient needs. The Food Guide recommends 1 to 3 servings of Meat and Alternatives each day. (A serving of lean beef is 75 grams cooked.) Here are just some of the essential nutrients found in beef.
Beef continues to be the #1 protein consumed in Canada, and for good reason. It has all 20 amino acids needed to make a complete protein - which means it supplies all of the essential amino acids, or building blocks of protein, the body needs to build, maintain and repair body tissue.
The Zinc in lean Canadian beef boosts your immune system and promotes healthy growth in children.
Canadian beef is the richest food source of ready-to-use iron. Iron helps carry oxygen to all parts of your body to fuel daily activities. Only some iron in food is absorbed well by the body. Heme iron found in meat, poultry and fish is much better absorbed than the non-heme iron found in plant foods and eggs. For example, your body absorbs four times more iron from a 90 gram serving of beef sirloin steak than from a 3/4 cup of bran flakes.
Canadian beef contains all five B-complex vitamins – thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B6 assist the body to turn food into energy. They also help grow and maintain healthy skin and eyes, appetite and central nervous system.
Vitamin B12 is essential for good health and is especially important for building healthy red blood cells and creating a healthy nervous system. The only reliable source of vitamin B12 is animal products like meat, fish, poultry, eggs and milk. Research suggests low B12 intakes may contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes (neural tube defects), weakened mental capacity in children, as well as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
For more on the nutrients found in Canadian beef, visit our Healthy Butcher.
Burgers (a nutrient-rich choice):
Real backyard burgers, those of the homemade persuasion, are truly flavourful and very nourishing. All dressed up, they become a true Canadian culinary experience. Serve them to kids with buns and try burgers on a bed of greens for some grown-up flare! So ditch the guilt (and the fries) and enjoy your burger!
Great burgers start out with the best – Canadian Ground Beef. You can make burgers with any kind of ground beef, from Extra Lean to Regular. Here’s how to make the best lean burgers:
Choose Extra Lean and Lean grinds. They are the best choices for health conscious cooking and have the least amount of grill flare-ups with a denser, tighter texture. Add an egg, some minced mushrooms or a splash of milk to maximize moisture.
Also look for Lean Ground Chuck, Extra Lean and Lean Ground Round and Ground Sirloin. These lean ground beef options are made from flavourful single cuts of beef. Try Ground Chuck in your next batch of lean beef burgers – it’s a chef (and dietitian) favourite!
Burger Grilling Tips:
Cook burgers with the lid down.
For the juiciest burgers, don’t fuss! Turning frequently and pressing on them only drives out those precious juices.
Patties can look done before being completely cooked. Burgers can be brown in the centre even when they are not cooked through OR pink even when they are cooked. Cook burgers to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), using a digital rapid-read thermometer to know if they are done.
Visit our Beautiful Burgers Cooking lesson.