The Best of Beef Beef's Role in the Diet and General Nutrition Information

The Balancing Act

Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating state that we should "enjoy a variety of foods." All foods can be part of a healthy diet since there are no "good" or "bad" foods. Balance is the key. Beef plays an important role in your diet. As far as meat is concerned, Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends 2-3 servings (50-100 grams each) of Meat and Alternatives per day. A serving size is approximately the size of a deck of cards.

Enjoy Beef's Good Nutrition

Beef is a nutrient-dense food; it provides 12 essential nutrients plus energy. It is an important source of protein, iron, zinc and certain B vitamins. For example, vitamin B₁₂, needed for producing red blood cells, can only be found in foods of animal origin.

All of beef's nutrients are important to the diet, but IRON is of particular interest. Beef contains a form of iron which is more readily used by the body than the iron in vegetables, breads, cereals, fruits, eggs and pharmaceutical preparations.

According to Health Canada nutrition labeling guidelines, all beef cuts, with the exception of short ribs, qualify as "lean" when trimmed of visible fat (ie. have less than 10% fat).

Lean on Beef

Some people are concerned about the amount of fat in their diet since high intakes of dietary fat have been associated with increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers (eg., colon and breast). The latest Health Canada nutrient information shows that beef today is on average 50% leaner, 34% lower in Calories and 21% lower in cholesterol than it was 20 years ago. Therefore all beef cuts, with the exception of short ribs, qualify as lean when trimmed of visible fat.

Beef Fits!! From A to Z

Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating

1. Enjoy a VARIETY of foods.
2. Emphasize cereals, breads, other grain products, vegetables and fruits.
3. Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats <!-- link to Meaning of Lean-- > and foods prepared with little or no fat.
4. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular physical activity and healthy eating.
5. Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine.