by Lily A. Thorns

Created on: July 02, 2007

Beef in Low Fat Diets

When your doctor tells you to adjust your diet to lower your fat intake, lose weight, lower cholesterol, or protect your health in any number of ways; many people will give up some of their favorite foods in the interest of renewed health and vigor. For beef eaters, there is good news, you don't need to give up beef to be physically fit and hardy. You can indulge your partiality for beef with only a little modification.

First, you must choose lean cuts of beef, which are defined as having less than 10 grams of fat per serving. Don't worry about having a limited selection there are twenty nine cuts you can enjoy! You can find the listing of the leanest cuts, and download a cheat sheet for your wallet listing the cuts and the nutrition information on a website called, 'Beef, It's What's for Dinner'. Find them at: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

Even leaner cuts of beef will have some fat on them, be sure to cut off any visible fat to reduce your intake even further. If you are afraid of sacrificing taste in favor of wholesome eating, fear not. There is so much you can do to both tenderize and enhance the flavor without the fat. Marinades are a choice method of doing both. Higher vinegar content over oil in your marinades will go do much to tenderize. Spice rubs provide quite a bit of pep. The options and recipes abound in endless variations. The above referenced website has plenty to get you started.

Most nutritionists will tell you to control your portion. Typically, your serving size should be about 4 oz. before cooking, which will shrink to about 3 oz. For a visual cue about how large that is, look at an average sized deck of cards. That is how big your portion should be. If you think you will still be hungry, then load up on other foods to round out your meal. Part of a balanced diet is controlling your portion size. Enjoy your beef, like all things, in moderation.

For most beef recipes, you will be able to exchange one cut of beef for another with little concern about ruining the result. There are many cooking techniques which will provide a juicy beef dinner despite using a lean cut of beef, and keep your portion size under control without feeling deprived. Some suggestions are beef stew, beef stir fry, spaghetti with meat sauce, beef soup, a roast in the crock pot, etc.

Serve your beef with zippy side dishes and a nice glass of red wine. Here is a recipe (from Beef, It's What's For Dinner) to get you started on low fat cooking with

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