Things You'll Need:
- A shopping list
- A sense of culinary adventure
- A hunger for both beef and healthy living
- A food scale
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Step 1
Know your portion sizes! Those gigantic 12 or 16 oz steaks you get at many restaurants are enough for three or four people to share. A serving of most cuts of beef is around 3.5 or 4 ounces--slightly bigger than a deck of cards. Remember, a bigger serving doesn't just mean extra meat--it means extra fat and calories, too.
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Step 2
Consider switching to grass-fed beef. Compared with the grain-fed beef you'll find at most grocers and butchers, grass-fed beef has less fat and cholesterol as well as fewer calories. As an added bonus, grass-fed beef also tends to have more nutrients, such as vitamin E, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. Now that's beef you can get used to! Talk with your local butcher or head to your local health food store to find grass-fed beef.
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Step 3
Have you ever tried bison? It may sound scary, but it actually has a rich, beefy taste and contains even less fat and cholesterol than grass-fed beef. Many grocers carry ground bison (similar to hamburger), so why not give it a try?
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Step 4
Know the government labeling laws and how they affect your beef. The government stipulates that for each 3.5 ounce serving, "Lean" cuts of beef must contain less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol. On the other hand, "Extra-lean" cuts of beef must contain less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol. Obviously, "Extra-lean" cuts are the better choice!
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Step 5
Recognize what cuts of beef are usually "Lean". "Lean" cuts of beef can include:Round steakShoulder steakTenderloin steakStrip steakT-bone steakTri-tip steakFlank steakArm pot roastChuck shoulder roast95% lean/5% fat ground beef
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Step 6
Recognize which cuts of beef are generally "Extra-lean". "Extra-lean" cuts of beef can include:Top round steakTop sirloin steakBottom round steakEye of round roast Bottom round roastTop round roast
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Step 7
Consider asking your butcher for "select" grade meat instead of "prime" or "choice" grade meat. Select grade meat usually has less fat marbling throughout the cuts, and therefore will generally have less fat.
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Step 8
Cut the fat--literally! Be sure to either ask your butcher to trim the visible fat or trim it yourself before you cook the meat. It may add flavor, but sometimes that little ring of fat can be contributing half of the total fat in the piece of beef. Yipes!
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Step 9
Don't cut the flavor while you're cutting the fat! There are plenty of ways you can maximize your beef's flavor without adding fat and calories: Consider marinating the beef for several hours or even overnight--a marinade that contains an acidic ingredient such as wine or vinegar will help to tenderize the meat. Rub it on--a dry spice rub, that is. Give both sides of the beef a hefty dose of your favorite herbs and spices before cooking them up.Don't fry in oil--braise, bake, roast, or grill your beef instead.
