HOW TO...BEEF CAN BE INCLUDED IN A HEALTHY, COST-CONSCIOUS DIET

Nearly everyone (who isn't vegetarian) loves a tender, juicy piece of beef....

A healthy, balanced diet can include Beef 

...and while there can be arguments about how it is cooked (rare, medium or well-done) or the merits of grass-fed over organic, etc, etc,  in most cultures, beef is still is considered a luxury.  

The blogger has close contacts in the beef industry but has always enjoyed the taste and texture of beef.  To maintain good levels of iron, the blogger eats beef at least once a month, even if in small quantities.

It has to be acknowledged, there are good reasons for including beef in your diet:

• Protein: beef has all the essential amino acids that the body needs; the body ages faster without protein 
• Zinc: beef is one of the richest sources of zinc, an essential mineral which helps keep the the brain, heart and immune system healthy 
• Iron: beef has more iron than most foods and the iron is more readily absorbed than plant sources 
• Environmentally: it allows the use of land not suitable for farming 

Why has Beef fallen out of fashion?

Most of us have reduced beef consumption because of worries about our health and our wallets:

• beef can be high in saturated fat 
• beef may contain antibiotics or hormones (the EU banned growth hormones in beef in 1988)
• beef can cost more than chicken or pork
• beef is environmentally inefficient; a steer consumes 10 calories of food for every calorie of meat

However:

• modern cuts of beef are leaner than in the past
• recent research shows one-third of the saturated fat in beef is stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on cholesterol 
• trials attempting to link beef consumption with heart disease don't compare like with like -- those who avoid beef tend to have healthier lifestyles while beef eaters often lead sedentary lifestyles which include smoking and drinking
• cheaper cuts of beef do not cost that much more than chicken or pork   

Where food is concerned, 67goingon50 is strongly of the 'all things in moderation' philosophy.  In Principles of Healthy Eating, the blog recommends a weekly eating pattern of two fish meals, one poultry, one red meat (beef, lamb or pork) and the rest vegetarian.

But when buying beef, it's wise to follow a few safety guidelines: 

• get the best you can afford; for most, that will be free-range; for some, organic 
• make friends with a butcher and don't ignore those in supermarkets; they can be as well-informed as local butchers 
• go for the leanest cuts, eg if using mince, aim for 10% fat 
• if you're going for broke with a steak, make it a really good one, marbled with fat, but don't have it every week
• a few UK farmers are producing Wagyu beef; it's fat is unsaturated but it will cost you!

Affordability

 If you think you can't afford steak or beef in general, try:

• newer more fashionable cuts of beef from the back and shoulder, such as blade, flat-iron, skirt, feather; they're cheaper than traditional steaks (£12 a kilo compared to £16 and up) and apparently as juicy and tender if flash-fried; now in some large UK supermarkets 
• supermarket roast specials; sometimes not very tender (hence the lower prices); cut into chunks, they make wonderful casseroles which cook faster than stewing cuts
• the cheapest beef is often the least tender but most flavourful; commercial chefs will boil stewing beef for 2 hours before transforming it into a melt-in-the-mouth casserole enriched by the beef stock
• cook tougher cuts in a slow-cooker: brisket at £6-8 per kilo makes a tender roast if cooked in a slow cooker overnight; stewing beef tenderises beautifully in a slow cooker  
• regular, small amounts of beef are as health-giving as occasional steaks, roasts and casseroles; eg stir-frying or tiny leaf beef meatballs in soup

Some cheap cuts of beef:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/cheap-cuts-how-buy-beef

Like this? Hate it? Comments or questions, pls email b67goingon50@yahoo.co.uk and say if they can be included in the blog

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