How does beef fit into your nutrition? For me, beef is a weekly staple! I love adding hamburger to our weekly meal plan; it is quick to cook, guarantees a good protein and the whole family likes it! It is also so versatile, there are so many ways to incorporate beef into your favorite recipes. I love beef for not only the flavor but the nutritional aspects as well!
According to an Iowa Farm Bureau blog post, "Just a 3-ounce serving of ground beef is an excellent source of 10 essential nutrients and about one-half your daily value of protein. It would take about 6 tablespoons of peanut butter, totaling 564 calories, to equal the 25 grams of protein in a 3-ounce serving of beef."
What are essential nutrients? What are amino acids? What is a complete protein?
10 essential nutrients include iron, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12, Choline, etc. When comparing zinc, you’d need to eat 20 oz. of cooked chicken breast to equal that of 1 serving of beef!
Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. Each different amino acid has an important job to do within the body. I.E removing toxins from the body, helping with proper brain function, etc.
What is a complete protein? A protein is called complete when it consists of all 9 essential amino acids that cannot be produced by the body. The nine essential amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylanaline, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Animal protein is considered a complete protein, it includes all 9 essential amino acids.
A plant-based diet can still be an option for a healthy lifestyle but know that it takes strategic planning to meet all of your complete protein needs. Sustainable animal products are much more convenient when fixing up a meal that fits into a well-balanced diet. Now this doesn't mean your plate shouldn't consist of mostly veggies! Veggies and fruits give us so many vital vitamins and fiber, but animal protein also helps us feel full longer! This can help us with portion control.
I often strive to eat 3 animal proteins a day, 4 veggies, 2 fruits, 2 carbs, and one healthy fat. Examples of a complete protein include meat, eggs, milk, cheese, etc. Examples of plant based complete proteins include edamame, quinoa, etc.
I am all for everyone following a nutrition plan that best fits in with their family values but know that beef can fit in with that plan quite well! In the next few posts, I plan to share how our family sustainably raises our cattle for beef production.
Some of my favorite and healthy weekly meals:
-Zoodle spaghetti with hamburger
-Tacos/taco salad
-Tater tot casserole
-Beef and broccoli
-Chili
-Roast
-Shepherd's pie
-Steak
-Hamburgers
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