The Complicated Story on Beef

So I received a request from my friend Adriane to have an "Ask the dietitian column"- I'll need to ask my tech-savvy brother if I can set up a way to have people write in questions... but in the mean time, here is Adriane's question:

"Ok question # 1. Dear Sexiest Dietitian in Northern New Jersey. Beef is the ugly step child of the meat family. You always hear how bad it is for you and your heart. Is there a "right" way to eat beef? Or should it really just be avoided? Any suggestions?"

That's a fantastic question- I know in my experience when a patient tells me he or she has started to make changes in his or her diet, the first thing mentioned is that he or she has stopped eating red meat. Beef has gotten a bad rap in the public and is not a great food to eat every day but as us dietitians like to say "Everything fits in moderation."

I'll start off by stating some of the nutritional properties of beef; this is from the beef.org website- run by the National Cattleman's Association- but they are truthful statements:

"A 3-ounce serving of lean beef is an excellent source (provides 20% or more of daily value) of: iron, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin. A 3-ounce serving of lean beef is a good source (provides 10-19% of daily value) of: phosphorus, protein, selenium, vitamin B12."

The iron that we get from beef (and animal foods in general) is more easily absorbed by the body than iron from plant foods. Beef and meat is also an easy way to eat a lot of protein. A 3-ounce serving of sirloin provides 26 grams protein and only 160 calories. So yes, there are some definite good points to beef.

Having said that, the typical American's diet is usually not deficient in niacin, B6 or riboflavin. Very few of us also are deficient in our protein intake- most Americans eat at least double the amount of protein that the body needs to function- even weight lifting guys who need extra protein usually eat way more than they need. Beef is also very high in fat, particularly saturated fat. Saturated fat is a type of fat that increases the 'bad' cholesterol in our blood called LDL-cholesterol. This increased level of bad cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis, or fatty deposits/plaques in blood vessels. If that same 3-ounce piece of sirloin is broiled or grilled and is a lean cut, it has 2.1 grams of saturated fat (10% of what a person who eats 2000 calories per day should eat). Keep in mind that 3 ounces of beef is not what most people consider a large portion, it is approximately the size of a deck of cards-not what most people eat when they eat steak. Meats in general can also be quite pricey. A can of organic garbanzo beans at Whole Foods runs me less than a dollar and provides lots of good fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals with no saturated fat and little total fat.

I also try to avoid eating beef and meats in general due to the impact of meat production on the environment. Heck, even the beef.org website states that it takes 435 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of meat. I won't get into a lot of the details but basically producing meat takes up a lot of natural resources including water, petroleum, grains, etc. If any one wants more information on the research concerning the environment, disease, and meat production, I can write another post, but it's too much to write here. There's also a lot of good books with strong scientific research behind them that deal with those issues.

Basically, the story on beef is a mixed one. My personal recommendation is to keep it to no more than once a week, and if you're going to eat beef, keep the portion small, like 3-ounces and choose a leaner cut. I think it's a good idea in general to try to trim back meat consumption and substitute it with other healthy protein sources like whole grains and beans.

The bottom line: beef can be a good source of protein and iron, but is high in saturated fat, has a high cost to the environment and your wallet.

Simple Carrot Soup Recipe

While I was shopping at Whole Foods yesterday I saw a Carrot-Ginger Soup for sale, 18 ounces for over $6. In my opinion that's way too much money to pay for a simple soup. I looked at the ingredient label and it was just about identical so a soup that I've been making for years. So I decided to share the super easy recipe! Pureed vegetable soups are a fantastic way to eat tons of veggies and not even realize it.

Simple Carrot Soup

1 shallot or 1 clove garlic

1 yellow onion

~1 Tbsp olive or canola Oil

1 1/2 pounds carrots

32 ounces (4 cups) chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium is what I use)

salt and pepper to taste

It's easy if you start off by dicing all of your veggies and add them as you go- think of a cooking show- they always have everything diced up in advance.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the diced onion to the pot and stir until the onion starts to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Then add the diced shallot or garlic clove. Stir for another 2-3 minutes then add the diced carrots and the broth.

Bring the soup to a boil and then turn hear down to low, put the lid on the pot and simmer until the carrots are soft (time varies depending on the size of your carrot pieces but ~30 minutes).

Take the soup off of the heat and give it about 10 minutes to cool down a bit so you don't scald yourself if your blender goes crazy.

Use a ladle and put the soup mixture into a blender and blend until it's pureed. It may take 2-3 trips to the blender if you have a small blender. Pour the soup back into the pot, heat if needed and serve!

Some people (example: my boyfriend) aren't used to the taste of lower-sodium foods, so feel free to add salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe can be modified very easily if you are feeling more creative. You can add ginger with the shallot/garlic for the Whole-Foods-like soup. You can get rid of the carrots and make potato/broccoli soup. All you need is to saute some onion, add veggies and broth, cook till soft and puree. Voila- your very own super easy way to tastily eat your veggies.

A bit of the basics

OK- Welcome everyone to the inaugural blog posting for the Nutrition Insiders' Guide.

For my first post I wanted to share something that I consider to be the cardinal rule of nutrition. In one of my very first nutrition classes in college a professor taught this to our class and I will never forget it.

The word "diet" comes from the greek word "diaita" which translates to "way or manner of living". Therefore, the word diet as our society has come to perceive it is not some horrible demonic concept, but instead a word to describe how we live. It is an extremely simple concept that has been hijacked by people looking to make a buck off of people's fears.

So PLEASE! Keep this in mind, a diet is the way that we are all supposed to eat all of the time, not just to lose 10 pounds in 3 days.