Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (NRFC)

The beef Checkoff is a founding member of the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition, which has launched a new website at www.NutrientRichFoods.org.  The website provides a comprehensive overview of the Nutrient Rich Foods approach, complete with tips for naviating MyPyramid, nitrient-rich shopping lists and menu suggestions for consumers.

Beef. Setting the Record Straight

America’s beef producers have launched their second set of nutrition advertising comparing the nutritional benefits of lean beef and skinless chicken. The ads use government data to illustrate lean beef compares favorably to skinless chicken breast in terms of fat, yet provides greater amounts of some essential nutrients.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) database that lists the nutrient compositions for all foods, six of beef’s leanest cuts have, on average, just one more gram of saturated fat but eight times more vitamin B12, six times more zinc and three times more iron than chicken’s leanest cut: the skinless chicken breast.

The series of four ads appear in 23 consumer-interest magazines, such as Cooking Light, Prevention, Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated and Family Circle.

The ads compare a 3-ounce cooked serving of skinless chicken breast to the average of 3-ounce cooked servings of six widely-available cuts of lean beef: eye round roast, top round steak, top sirloin steak, boneless shoulder pot roast, round tip roast and shoulder steak. In addition to these cuts, there are at least seven more beef cuts that meet government requirements for lean or extra lean, including some of America’s favorites, such as tenderloin, T-bone steak and 95 percent lean ground beef.

Get The Skinny on Beef

2 Charts: Six Lean Cuts of Beef as Compared to a Skinless Chicken Breast / Other Lean Cuts of Beef as Compared to a Skinless Chicken ThighThere are at least 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for lean or extra lean.

According to government guidelines, a serving qualifies as "extra lean" if it has less than 5g total fat, 2g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. A serving qualifies as "lean" if it has less than 10g total fat, 4.5g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. In addition to the cuts listed on the chart below, 95% lean/5% fat ground beef is also considered lean. Find out how beef compares to chicken for nutrients and fat content .

Learn more about the types of fat found in beef and chicken.

The Healthy Beef Cookbook

The nutrition experts at the American Dietetic Association and the beef experts at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association partnered to create this checkoff-funded cookbook. NCBA and ADA teamed up with Chef Richard Chamberlain and registered dietitian Betsy Hornick, who combined their culinary and nutrition expertise to bring great-tasting lean beef to the table.

The Healthy Beef Cookbook makes it easy for people to follow the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid and "get more nutrition from their calories," without sacrificing taste.

• The Cookbook's recipes were created to help people get more essential nutrients in every meal while enjoying their favorite protein, beef.
• The Cookbook features all 29 lean cuts of beef
  
• The recipes are satisfying and delicious for people watching their weight
  
• Over 50% of the recipes feature foods from all five food groups.

Order your cookbook today !

Links

    
Dietary Guidelines for Americans


Get Fit Kansas!


29 Lean cuts wallet Card