Beef Checkoff Questions And Answers
About ‘Beef Nutrition’
1) Doesn’t beef have more fat content than other proteins?
The beef checkoff is helping consumers learn their lean beef choices. Based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data, there are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for “lean,” with less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3-ounce serving. A national, random sample telephone survey of
So, beef is nutritious as well as delicious.
2) What has the checkoff done to help show that beef fits a healthful diet? Within the past few months there have been three specific accomplishments on the nutrition front: New research shows that eating lean beef every day can be good for heart health by improving cholesterol levels. That’s what a new checkoff-funded study called BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet) shows – that adding lean beef to the most recommended heart-healthy diet can lower heart disease risk by reducing levels of total and LDL “bad” cholesterol. The BOLD clinical study (Effects on Lipids, Lipoproteins and Apolipoproteins), conducted by Pennsylvania State University researchers, evaluated adults with moderately elevated cholesterol levels, who followed four diets with varying amounts of beef, for five weeks each, to measure the impact of each diet on measures of heart health, such as total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. Thanks in part to a partnership with the Beef Checkoff Program, the American Heart Association has listed four beef cuts as part of its Food Certification Program. This program places the association's heart-check mark on food packages to helps healthy consumers over age 2 identify foods that meet criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol. The four cuts include: Following the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate icon, came the introduction of the My Plate, My Way interactive eating personality assessment tool developed by the beef checkoff. This tool will help Americans—many of whom strive to eat healthier, but struggle to make it work for their needs and circumstances—better understand their eating “personalities.” Living healthier starts by making small steps toward an active lifestyle with a diet filled with nutrient-rich foods, including lean beef.
3) What does the beef checkoff to do educate physicians about beef? Every time I see my doctor he tells me to cut back on red meat.
One thing we’ve learned over the years is that most doctors aren’t well versed on nutrition. They depend on the counsel of dietitians and other nutrition experts to help advise their patients. For nearly two decades, checkoff-funded initiatives have focused on, one, improving the nutrition science as it applies to beef, and two, providing information to dietitians and others who are likely to influence doctors, including yours.
4) What is the beef checkoff doing about reports linking beef to cancer and other diseases? Over the long term this could do damage to beef’s reputation.
Checkoff-funded efforts operated behind the scenes to help the industry prepare for and respond to the World Cancer Research Foundation report and others. The information developed and the contacts made during this time helped our industry respond responsibly to what might have been devastating news.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.
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