Beef – the Healthy Option

Since my move to Illinois nearly a year ago, I have come to the realization that I had awful eating habits in my previous life. I lived alone and was on the road more than half the year; therefore the cupboards and refrigerator in my house had the bare minimum – cereal, crackers, cheese, milk (sometimes it was still good) and a piece of fruit or two. I ate out twice a day and even then didn’t make super healthy choices.

I have definitely chosen a healthier lifestyle since my move to the farm, and starting work at IBA. Stan and I cook most every night and I take left overs to work daily, but usually my friends and I do splurge and eat out one day a week. The meals I take to work include protein, a salad and another vegetable or fruit.

Of course the tastiest protein option I enjoy is beef! And, fortunate for me, beef offers a variety of lean options. According to www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com, “all lean beef cuts have less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3½-oz serving.” To find a lean beef option, look for the words “loin” or “round” in the cuts’ name.

We have really been on steak kick lately – especially with the nice weather. So the other night, Stan grilled up a sirloin steak. It was a slightly larger than 3 ½ ounces, and we knew with our sides, one steak would feed the both of us. Earlier in the day, Stan lightly seasoned the steak with one of our favorites – Jim Baldridge’s Secret Seasoning. Just prior to grilling we set the steak out. I had purchased some pineapple chunks earlier in the week and thought about using them for shish-ka-bobs, but instead we just grilled them sans skewer.

We like our beef medium rare, with a little pinkish-red color in the center. Different grills will cook at different speeds. It is always good to have a meat thermometer on hand to make sure your meat is cooked to the temperature you like it.

Within a very short time, we had a delicious steak and wonderful grilled pineapple – all with just three ingredients – steak, seasoning and pineapple.

This was a great looking, great tasting, lean meal. Of course, I added some grilled garden veggies and a baked sweet potato to the meal to round it out.

What is your favorite cut of lean beef? There are so many options to choose from, and so much more flavor in lean beef than what you’d find in chicken. I wish more people realized that.

Stay tuned for next week’s segment where we look at some other fun ways to use beef!