Basics About Nutrition - Buying Beef - Beef Cuts Food Safety - Cooking Methods - Tenderizing - Convenience Products - Carving - Timetables

Oct 12, 2026

The booklet explains core concepts of beef nutrition and practical guidance for buying and preparing beef. It outlines why beef is chosen, emphasizing essential nutrients and how a lean 3-oz serving can deliver protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins efficiently in calories. It also connects beef’s nutrient value to broader dietary guidance like MyPlate and Daily Values, then introduces later sections on beef cuts, food safety, cooking methods, tenderizing, convenience products, carving, and timetable-based planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time7 min

AccessFree to download

Nutrition

Buying Beef

Beef Cuts Chart

Food Safety Information

Dry Heat Cooking Methods

Moists Heat Cooking Methods

Tenderizing

Convenience Beef Products

Timetables

Carving

BASICS ABOUT NUTRITION BUYING BEEF BEEF CUTS FOOD SAFETY COOKING METHODS TIMETABLES TENDERIZING CONVENIENCE PRODUCTS CARVING TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 NUTRITION..................................................................... 3 BUYING BEEF ................................................................. 6 BEEF CUTS CHART ................................................ 10-11 FOOD SAFETY INFORMATION ...............................13 DRY HEAT COOKING METHODS .......................... 14 MOIST HEAT COOKING METHODS ..................... 16 TENDERIZING .............................................................. 17 CONVENIENCE BEEF PRODUCTS .......................... 17 TIMETABLES ................................................................. 18 CARVING...................................................................... 20 This booklet is all about beef. The information is designed to help you get the most value when you buy beef and to show you how to prepare beef to enhance the tenderness and flavor. But why should you choose beef in the first place? The most important reasons are to obtain many of the key nutrients needed by your body and to enjoy its taste. NUTRITION About 50 separate nutrients are essential to health and no single food contains them all. For this reason, registered dietitians and other health professionals recommend we consume a wide variety of foods from the different food groups every day. One type of food can’t do the job alone, and extra amounts of one nutrient can’t makeup for too little of another. To help you choose the right variety and amounts, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides dietary guidance through a food icon, MyPlate, which illustrates the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet using a familiar image—a place setting for a meal. These food groups include grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy. Each of these food groups provides some, but not all, of the essential nutrients. Foods in one group cannot totally replace those in another. No one food group is more important than another—all are necessary for good health. component of dietary guidance because it contributes to the Daily Value (DV) of many key nutrients, like protein, iron, zinc and many B-vitamins. The DV for a nutrient refers to the amount most teens and adults should eat each day. The value (recommended amount) is based on a person who eats about 2,000 calories each day. The DV is approximate because the exact amount each person needs varies with age, gender and activity level. The chart below lists the DV of many essential nutrients found in beef. Few foods offer so many nutrients in so few calories. An important source of 10 essential nutrients, including iron, zinc, B-vitamins and protein, a 3-oz serving of lean beef provides about 150 calories. Animal proteins—such as lean beef—are complete, high-quality proteins that contain all of the essential amino acids your body needs. Lean beef is a calorie saver, especially compared to other protein choices. In fact, to get the same amount of protein found in lean beef, you’d have to consume two to three times more calories from plant proteins. First choose naturally nutrient-rich foods that provide more and greater amounts of nutrients in fewer calories. Then you can choose other less nutrient-rich foods as long as you stay within your caloric allowance. The Protein Foods Group is an important Protein Niacin (B3) Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Iron Zinc 50 20 2.0 6.0 18 15 grams milligrams milligrams micrograms milligrams milligrams 3 4 | When it comes to choosing proteins, lean beef is a delicious choice for beefing up your high-quality protein needs. It’s also a perfect partner for fruits, vegetables and whole grains, making it even easier to enjoy a balanced diet to meet the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate recommendations.1,2
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FAQs

Why is beef recommended as part of a healthy diet?

Beef provides many essential nutrients needed for health, and lean beef delivers high-quality protein along with nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins in relatively few calories.

What are Daily Values (DV) in the context of beef nutrition?

Daily Values describe the approximate amount most teens and adults should eat each day, based on a typical 2,000-calorie diet; the exact need varies by age, gender, and activity level.

How does lean beef compare to plant or other protein sources for calories and nutrients?

A 3-oz serving of lean beef provides high-quality protein with fewer calories than many plant protein options, and it can supply nutrients like zinc and iron more efficiently than certain alternatives.

Oct 12, 2026

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