by Katie Schaeffer, RD, LD
Whether it’s the backyard, kitchen, or a tailgate, families can enjoy the great taste of beef at any meal occasion. Create nutritious meals with perfectly-portioned kabobs featuring the season’s freshest ingredients, or capitalize on beef’s versatility by preparing a quick, easy, and delicious ground beef meal sure to please the entire family. Incorporate beef into your meals to give everyone in your family the strength to make the most of their day.
Start strong. Beef has a unique mix of nutrients, including high-quality protein, iron, zinc, choline, selenium, and vitamins B6 and B12, essential for growth and development in infants and children. Additionally, children need iron and zinc for development, learning, behavior, and growth. Beef is a natural source of more than 10 essential nutrients including protein, zinc, and iron, which can help prevent harmful nutrient deficiencies.
Live strong. The essential nutrients found in beef, like protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins, provide our bodies and minds with the fuel we need at all stages of life to be the strongest version of ourselves. A wealth of research has linked protein to favorable lifestyle markers such as healthy body weight and weight loss, maintaining and building muscle, and overall diet satisfaction. Eating at least four ounces of high-quality protein from foods like beef at each meal provides your body with energy to lead an active lifestyle. Research has also shown exercise is more effective for weight management when paired with a higher-protein diet, and beef provides the amino acids necessary for building and replenishing muscles.
Age strong. Adding more proteins to your meals — from foods in the meat and dairy groups, for instance — can be a simple way to help manage several age-related health issues. One of the most notable benefits of high-quality proteins, like beef, in your diet is its ability to build and maintain muscle. As we age, getting the right amount of protein becomes increasingly important to fight off diseases like sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), type-2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Katie Schaeffer, RD, LD represents Hy-Vee as a nutrition expert promoting healthy eating throughout the community. Katie is a member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.