Have trouble knowing which package of ground beef to choose? Here are some guidelines:
- Meat labeled “hamburger meat” is allowed to have fat added. Ground beef only contains the fat that is there naturally.
- Chuck has the highest fat in ground beef cuts, and sirloin has the least.
- The maximum fat allowed in ground beef is 30% (making it 70% lean) – which is a high fat content.
- The best choice is “extra lean”, which contains no more than 5% fat (95% lean).
Meats contain saturated fats that incrase our risk for all the diseases related to inflammation: heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc. So it does make a difference to buy lean means and cut your saturated fat intake as much as you can.
If you purchase grass fed beef, the fat labeling will be the same. But grass fed beef has a healthier fat profile, with a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio – making it a good choice. Another option is to use ground turkey or chicken. I substitute ground turkey in my recipes with great success. I add seasoning directly to the meat as it cooks, which gives it plenty of flavor.
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WOW! This article is exactly what is wrong with our society trying to lose weight!
You as a dietician state that 95-5 extra lean ground beef has 5% fat is an outrage. There is roughly 150 calories per every 4oz in 95-5 beef, and roughly 50 of those calories are from FAT! Basic math tells me that there is 30% fat in that serving! Not 5%!!!!!
Same math principles should be used for your 70-30 theory as well. There is a LOT more than 30% fat per serving in that beef!!
Come on, dieticians should know what they are talking about and help us, not “trick” us like the food companies do!
Dear Duped No More,
What I printed is true, however your comment raises a good point. The % fat is by weight, not calories, and that is confusing.
Using the USDA food tables (http://homecooking.about.com/od/beef/a/groundbeeflabel.htm) 4 oz of 5% ground meat is 155 calories, with 5.65 grams of fat. Since fat is 9 calories per gram, that is nearly 51 calories worth of fat. So 30% of the calories are from fat.
The same 4 oz peice of ground meat (raw) with 15% fat (remember- by weight) contains 243 calories, and 153 (or 63%) come from fat. And 15% fat content is much more common.
A similar situation exists with milk. Lowfat milk sounds better than it really is with it’s 2% fat. Whole milk is 3.5% fat.
It has to do with labeling laws, and I agree it is deceptive. I’m glad for the opportunity to point it out and sorry I didn’t clarify that in my post.
Kathy
PS – hope you don’t honestly think that I or other dietitians are trying to trick you.
How & where in Healdsburg can I find grass fed beef?
Hi Tammy,
There are several options. Sheltons (used to be Ansteads – new owners and they’ve done nice things with the store) has grass fed beef and buffalo. Check both the refrigerated and freezer sections. Big John’s usually, although not always, has grass fed hamburger (but not other cuts). At the farmers market on Saturdays (9-12) there have been two local farmers selling grass fed meat. Unfortunately, the market only runs through November, and they may not be there the whole time. But I believe that they attend the Santa Rosa Farmers market year-round.
Lots of good choices here in Healdsburg.
Kathy
Can I purchase hamburger with a higher fat content at a significantly lower price, and then simply cook and drain off the fat? It is otherwise very cost prohibitive to buy the much leaner hamburger.
I wasn’t sure how to answer your question, so I asked my dietitian friends. Here is what James Burke had to say:
I don’t know about a quantity, but as the fat heats up it turns into a liquid and saturates the meat. The lowest fat can come from the purchase of low fat beef because they use a low fat cut of meet that has less marbling. You can get it even lower if you cook it, and then while it is hot, add seasoned water into the pan. Bring it to a boil so that it not only takes the oil off of the surface, but it can get into the meat and displace a little of the oil. Then, you can pour the oil and water off (or leave it in the fridge and lift it off the next day) and fry it for another few minutes in order to get rid of any extra water. http://www.SantaRosaNutrition.com
My own preference is grass-fed beef. I justify the higher cost of the meat by eating less. If cost is important, try Jame’s suggestion. I also use ground turkey breast (which is lower fat than regular ground turkey).
Kathy
Weird, I googled something about lean ground beef and found this site. I actually grew up in Healdsburg, and you don’t hear about that town anywhere. And people always think you say Hillsburo. Thanks for the info though!
So glad you found my blog! Healdsburg continues to be a lovely spot.
Kathy
Hi all, you can try my beef…at http://www.skinnybeef.com, it is so low in fat, it is only 1% and therefore the calories and the fat are much less and the protein content is consequently higher.
How & where in Dallas Tx.
can I find grass fed beef?
Google using the search words: grass fed beef Dallas Tx
cool , Thanks!!