Lean Canadian beef is naturally nutrient-rich with 14 essential nutrients to help keep your body healthy and strong. Every serving of beef provides you with an excellent source of high quality protein, zinc, and vitamin B₁₂.

You can feel good about serving your family nutritious beef meals. Here are eight beef cuts, as well as lean and extra lean ground beef to put on your grocery list:

• Lean or Extra Lean Ground Beef
• Lean or Extra Lean Ground Round
• Lean or Extra Lean Ground Sirloin
• Lean Ground Chuck
• Eye of round
• Inside round
• Sirloin tip
• Top sirloin
• Flank
• Strip loin
• Cross rib
• Outside round

Check out these heart healthy (and delicious) beef recipes.

Do Canadians eat too much red meat?

On average Canadians eat the equivalent of one Food Guide serving of red meat per day based on Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide.

Canada's Food Guide recommends that we enjoy Meat and Alternatives, like lean Canadian beef, each day:
Children: 1-2 servings
Teens: 2-3 servings
Adults: 2-3 servings.

One serving is equivalent to 75 grams of cooked lean meat, fish or poultry. That's roughly the size of two lipsticks.

What is the link with red meat and cancer prevention?

While we don't know what causes most cancers, we do know that things like smoking, age, family history and the foods we eat can play a role in the development of some cancers. Research shows that diet may play a role in cancers such as colon, breast and prostate.

No single food item causes or prevents cancer; however, a balanced eating pattern including lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products seems to have the strongest link with reducing risk of some cancers.

Recent research also shows that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a natural component in beef and dairy products, may reduce the risk of some cancers.^1,2

Canadian beef also contains selenium, and Vitamin D, nutrients reported to be preventive with respect to cancer.^3,4

For more information on nutrition and cancer, visit the Canadian Cancer Society.

Click here to listen to Dr. Klurfeld from the USDA Agricultural Research Service evaluate the research and discuss the science of red meat and cancer risk.

¹ Kemp MQ et al. J Nutr, 2003; 133: 3670-77.
² Hubbard NE, et al. Cancer Lett, 2003; 190: 13-19.
³ Kellen E, et al. Int J Urol 2006 Sep;13(9):1180-4.
⁴ Brown KM, et al. Public Health Nutr 2001 Apr;4(2B):593-9.

I've just heard a report linking red meat to cancer. Should I stop eating beef?

Canadians can eat Canadian beef with confidence. The scientific and medical communities agree that eating lean beef as part of a balanced diet is beneficial to health. Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide recommends we enjoy 1 to 3 servings of Meat & Alternatives, like beef, each day.

Lean Canadian beef is a nutrient rich, packed with 14 essential nutrients that we need every day like protein zinc and vitamin B₁₂. Many Canadians, especially women and young children, are at risk for iron and zinc deficiencies.

Canadian beef also contains nutrients reported to be preventive with respect to cancer. These include selenium, vitamin D and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

There is no convincing evidence that consuming moderate amounts of fresh red meat, as part of a healthy balanced diet, increases the risk of cancer. There is not one single food that protects against or causes cancer.

Studies looking at the link between eating red meat and colon cancer have not found that eating meat causes cancer.¹ Recent research suggests that certain eating patterns that include foods high in fat or low in fibre may increase risk of some cancers.²

Also, it is often what we are not eating, rather than what we are eating that increases our cancer risk. A balanced eating pattern that includes lots of fruits, vegetables and grain products seems to have the strongest link to reducing risk of some cancers.²

Cancer is a complex disease and your best way to decrease your risk is to enjoy a healthy balanced diet, stay physically active, don't smoke and reduce your alcohol consumption.^2,3 For more on healthy living to for cancer prevention visit the Canadian Cancer Society.

Click here to listen to Dr. Klurfeld from the USDA Agricultural Research Service evaluate the research and discuss the science of red meat and cancer risk.

¹ Mathew A et al. Eur J Cancer Prev 2004; 13:159-64.
² Canadian Cancer Society. Available at www.cancer.ca
³ Byers T, et al. CA Cancer J Clin, 2002; 52:92-119.

I am trying to lose weight - can I still enjoy Canadian beef?

A University of British Columbia study compared diets of vegetarian, past vegetarian and non-vegetarian women and found no difference in weight among these three groups of health-conscious women.

To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, eat a variety of foods, follow Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide and enjoy physical activity on most days of the week.

Eating protein-rich foods, like lean Canadian beef, may help with achieving a healthy weight:

• Including protein at meals and snacks can help you feel full and satisfied–that helps you manage the munchies and eat less. And when you eat less, you usually lose more weight.^1,2
• Studies show that our bodies naturally burn a few more calories when we eat protein-rich meals.³
• Eating plenty of protein-rich foods may also help to reduce fat around the middle during weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight.^4,5

Canadian beef is packed full of essential health-promoting nutrients like protein, B-vitamins, iron and zinc and can be included as part of a healthy weight loss diet.

¹ Weigle DS et al. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005;82(1); 41-8.
² Marmonier C et al. Appetite, 2000; 34(2):161-8.
³ Layman DK et al. J Nutr 2004; 134(4):S968-73.
⁴ Due A et al. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 2004; 28(10):1283-90.
⁵ Westerterp-Plantenga, MS et al. Int J Obes, 2004; 28(1): 57-64