A Beef Lover’s Guide to Nutrition: From A to Zinc

07.16.2024

A tender, buttery slice of steak. A mouthful of a juicy, beautiful burger. Fall-off-the-bone short ribs. There’s nothing quite like a great bite of beef. But how does eating beef impact your overall nutrition? Do you get vitamins and minerals from your favorite food?

Let’s dig into the most common questions about beef and nutrition.

How many calories are in beef?

In a three-ounce serving of beef, you’ll consume roughly 170 calories. Keep in mind that different cuts of beef have different levels of marbling (fat content), so the cut of beef you eat will impact the number of calories you intake.

Calories in various kinds of beef (3-ounce servings):

• Ground beef, 93% lean/7% fat: 164 calories
• Ground beef, 80% lean/20% fat: 230 calories
• Ribeye steak: 190 calories
• Top sirloin steak: 150 calories
• New York strip steak: 160 calories
• Inside skirt steak: 200 calories
• Outside skirt steak: 240 calories

Does beef offer vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients?

Come for the flavor, stay for the big nutritional perks. Beef has so many nutrients that those in the know refer to the collection of vitamins and minerals as “Beef’s Top 10.”

A three-ounce serving of beefy goodness brings you and your body the following health-boosting benefits:

• Vitamin B12: 101% DV*
  This essential nutrient keeps your blood and nerve cells healthy and helps prevent conditions like anemia.
• Zinc: 53% DV
  Gives your immune system the power to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. Who knew a good steak could help keep the doctor away?
• Protein: 51% DV
  Fact—beef can help you get big gains. 💪🏼 Protein boosts your body’s ability to maintain and build muscle.
• Selenium: 48% DV
  A jack of all trades, selenium is vital to thyroid gland function, DNA production, and protecting the body from free radicals and infection.
• Niacin: 31% DV
  Also called vitamin B3, niacin turns the food you eat into energy. Additionally, it helps keep your nervous system, digestive system, and skin healthy.
• Vitamin B6: 28% DV
  This is a big one. Vitamin B6 is required for metabolism and proper immune function. It’s also needed for brain development during pregnancy and infancy.
• Riboflavin: 19% DV
  Also known as vitamin B2, riboflavin helps turn the food you eat into energy and is important for growth, development, and the function of the body’s cells.
• Phosphorous: 16% DV
  Your body uses this to make energy, and phosphorus is part of every cell in your system, particularly cells that make up bones and teeth.
• Iron: 14% DV
  Not only does iron aid in growth and development, but it also helps carry oxygen to all parts of the body, including your muscles.
• Choline: 13% DV
  Your brain and nervous system use choline to regulate memory, mood, muscle, and more. In short, don’t forget your choline.

*DV refers to Daily Value, or the amount of a nutrient needed for a healthy adult on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your Daily Value may vary based on your nutritional needs and goals.

How does beef measure up against other proteins?

As it turns out, there’s a logical reason for calling folks with muscle mass “beefcakes.” Beef delivers an awesome amount of protein—25 grams—in every three-ounce serving.

The same goes for eggs, so you can stop taking raw egg shots before your workout. In the same 100-gram measurement, beef has 25.8 grams of protein compared to the 12.6 grams of protein that you’ll get from eggs.

Beef Recipes That Pack a Nutritional Punch

Togarashi Rubbed Skirt Steak with Soy and Cilantro Herb Salad

Rich ribeye is rubbed in togarashi, a blend made from dried chili peppers in this recipe. The ribeye brings tons of nutritional perks to the table, plus you’ll get potassium from the radishes, vitamins A and K from the carrots, and antioxidants from the bean sprouts.

Seared Ribeye with Fried Brussels Sprouts

In this mouthwatering recipe, ribeye is seared, butter basted, and finished in the oven, while the Brussels sprouts are lightly fried and topped with a bright honey vinaigrette. Brussels sprouts boost the nutritional value of an already-nourishing meal, with their high levels of phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin C.

Smoked Tri-Tip and Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Smoky, tender tri-tip has those 10 essential nutrients in every luscious bite, and cauliflower brings its own goodness to the party with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C, and folate. Bookmark the recipe here.

Now you have legit reasons to love beef—it tastes good and it’s good for you.

Look for nutritious, delicious 1855 Black Angus Beef at a store near you and spark your creativity with our chef and pit boss-approved recipe collection.