The Other Side of the 'Beef is Bad' Story

After 20 years as a vegetarian, a nutritionist sees a brighter side of red meat.

A steak in and of itself is not a diet disaster, but its portion size, toppings and sides can quickly turn it into one.

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to eat dinner with the governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, and a room full of Nebraskan ranchers at the Empire Steak House in New York City. Much to my surprise, I was seated exactly next to the governor and across from Greg Ibach, the director of Nebraska’s Department of Agriculture.
Funny thing is, had I received this invitation more than two years ago, I would have passed on it. For 20 years, I took a hiatus from meat. Yep, that's right: I was a fish-eating vegetarian – no poultry or beef – until March 2013, to be exact. (But who's counting?)
I can't really tell you why I switched back to eating meat, but I do know when I did. I was at the Palm in East Hampton eyeing my husband's steak and decided to take a bite. One bite became many bites, and before I knew it, the next time we ate there, I ordered my own. Now I’m hooked.
With my family history of high cholesterol and heart disease, I have worried that my new carnivore lifestyle could be risky. However, I am happy to report that over the last two years, my blood cholesterol has not changed. So far, so good.
Needless to say, during my dinner with the Nebraskans, I had a ton of questions. For example, how often to you eat red meat? Daily. Do you name your cattle? No. (Yes, I actually did ask that.) What do you think of someone who orders their beef well-done? Let's put it this way: It's a good thing I like mine medium-rare.
After that night, I realized there is a lot of confusion surrounding consumption of red meat. To help me sort through it all, I interviewed meat scientist Chris Calkins, a professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Here’s what he had to say about some common beliefs about red meat:
1. Grass-fed beef is more nutritious than grain-fed beef, right?
Not necessarily. The majority of research concludes that there are really no significant nutritional differences between grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Even though grain-fed beef has a little more fat, when you look at the actual percentage of omega-3 fatty acids against total fat content, the number only appears higher in grass-fed beef because the amount of total fat is lower.
2. What about organic beef versus conventional beef?
Same story. There are no measurable differences in the nutrition of organic versus conventional beef. The best reason to choose organic is because you want to support a particular type of farming practice. The specifics of different practices are so vast that I honestly don’t think I could explain them unless I took a trip to a cattle ranch. (Note to self: Visit Nebraska.)
3. Isn’t beef loaded with antibiotics?
No. This is one of those points that is really misunderstood. Yes, sick cattle are given antibiotics; otherwise, they may suffer. But the beef we eat has absolutely no harmful residue from these antibiotics, Calkins told me. The Food and Drug Administration mandates such rigorous testing of the cattle before being harvested (also known as “slaughtered,” but “harvested” sounds nicer)that the consumer should not be concerned. What I found interesting is that even organic farms give their cattle antibiotics when sick; otherwise, it could be considered inhumane. But after their treatment, they are asked to leave the ranch (which reminds me of “The Biggest Loser”).
4. Is beef packed with nutrients?
Yes. Beef is an excellent source of protein a 3-ounce serving provides nearly half of our daily needs. It also is a good source of zinc, selenium, vitamins B12 and B6, niacin, phosphorous, choline, iron and riboflavin. I dare to say that a steak (or burger) is not an inevitable health disaster; what can make it so is the serving size and what a person chooses to eat with it. For example, a 3-ounce serving of a lean beef averages 150 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat. But if you eat a serving closer to 8 ounces, pile the plate with fries or mashed potatoes, sautéed onions and creamed spinach, those numbers are going to change rather quickly.
5. Doesn’t beef have more saturated fat than chicken and poultry?
Not necessarily. It really depends which cut of beef and poultry you choose. There are actually 29 cuts of lean beef which have a total fat content somewhere between a skinless chicken breast and a skinless chicken thigh. And, if you eat the chicken skin, it stands to reason that even more cuts of beef would be lower in saturated fat. When buying beef, key words to look for include “loin” and “round” – those are typically the leaner cuts of beef. Also, current research supports that the saturated fat found in beef is rich in stearic acid, a type of fat that has been found to have a neutral effect on our blood LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and total cholesterol.