Low Fat Cooking
Eating right can be easy and tasty by including
lean and healthy beef in your diet. As with anything
you eat, you need to consider proper selection, preparation
methods and portion size and you're well on your way
to healthy eating. Here are some quick tips to help
you enjoy delicious, nutritious meals made with beef.
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Find lean cuts of beef by looking
for the words "round", "loin",
"extra lean" or "the leanest"
in the name. Cuts like top round, tenderloin or
sirloin will be lean and healthy.
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Trim all visible fat before you
cook, this can lower fat by as much as 50%.
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To further reduce the fat, put
the cooked ground beef it in a strainer and rinse
briefly with hot water. Drain well and continue
with your recipe.
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To further reduce the fat in ground
beef patties and meatloaf, pat the cooked burgers
and meatloaf with a dry paper towel. This can lower
fat by as much as 50%.
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Roast, bake, grill, braise, broil
or stir-fry more often. Fry less often.
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Cook beef in nonstick pans. If
needed, use cooking sprays instead of oil or butter.
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Try basting or searing beef with
stock or broth instead of oil.
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Skimming fat from homemade soups
and stews is easy. Chill and simply remove the fat
layer that rises to the surface.
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Use a fat separating cup for making
low-fat beef gravy or lean au jus.
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It's easy to create tasty sauces
for beef roasts. Simply add stock or broth into
pan juices and thicken by boiling rapidly for a
few minutes. Season with herbs and a touch of wine.
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When cooking beef, put a rack in
the pan to allow fat to drip away from the meat.
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Use marinades and rubs to add an
ethnic flair, tenderize or to enhance the flavor
of beef. (See
Rubs &
Marinades)
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Choose beef recipes with flavorful
ingredients such as fresh garlic, hot and sweet
peppers or fresh ginger. They add tons of flavor
and no extra fat.
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When a recipe calls for oil, use
a smaller amount of a more flavorful oil, such as
olive, sesame or chili oil. Use a combination of
flavored oils, herbs or beef stock to season beef,
vegetables, sauces, stir-fried and sauteed dishes.
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Use lean ground beef such as ground
round (known as extra lean) or ground sirloin (known
as lean) for casseroles, chili, tacos, spaghetti
sauces and skillet dishes.
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Try making your favorite cheeseburger
macaroni casserole with low-fat or reduced-fat cheese.
Top with a sprinkling of sharp cheese, fresh grated
Romano or a bit of zesty Parmesan for more flavor.
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The food guide pyramid shows that
you can have 2-3 servings of meat (3 ounces per
serving) daily. You can eat it all in one meal or
spread the servings over a couple of meals throughout
the day. Remember that one serving of beef is about
the size of a deck of cards.
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Add color to your beef entrees
by choosing side dishes with fresh vegetables like
orange carrots, yellow corn, red peppers and green
pea pods
