I've made a New Year's resolution to make healthier meals for the family – is there a simple way to pick nutritious foods? How can beef fit into this plan?

You'll find there are plenty of lean beef choices available at the meat counter. Here's a list of the cuts and ground beef choices:

* Based on beef cuts trimmed of external fat to 0-inch trim.

Keep these lean and extra lean beef choices in mind next time you go grocery shopping.

More Good News: every bite of beef is packed with 14 essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and B₁₂ , so beef is a good way to build nutritious meals.

Here are some simple lean ways to add a nutrition boost to dinner:

• use extra lean ground beef for taco or spaghetti night
• beef up your minestrone or mac and cheese by adding cooked lean ground beef or slivers of leftover cooked eye of round oven roast

† Choosing leaner meats (extra lean or lean) is part of healthy eating.

*Per 100 g raw beef, trimmed of external fat (composite of 26 cuts): 162 calories, 21 g protein, 8 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate

% Daily Value: 110% vitamin B₁₂, 60% zinc, 45% niacin, 35% selenium, 15% iron, 15% vitamin D, 15% riboflavin, 15% vitamin B6, 15% phosphorous, 10% pantothenate, 10% thiamine, 10% magnesium, 9% potassium

*Per 100 g raw Extra Lean Ground Beef: 180 Calories, 21 g protein, 10 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate, zinc 50% DV, iron 15% DV, B₁₂ 80% DV.

Per 100 g raw Lean Ground Beef: 210 Calories, 20 g protein, 15 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate, zinc 50% DV, iron 15% DV, B₁₂ 70% DV.