Food tips • health

Ground Beef Protein: A Good Source

Written by Emily Fawcett
8 Minute Read
Published on Feb 06, 2023

High-quality grass-fed Beef has long been a staple meat across the globe. You can find a dish on nearly every continent that spotlights beef, and for good reason. 

Nutrition Facts About Beef

Beef is a delicious lean meat, one that is affordable and easily accessible. Even a small serving size of beef provides you with an abundance of key dietary nutrients. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B12, and much more. You can even look to beef for some of your daily calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are key to your overall health.

Below are just a few more nutrients that you get from lean beef:

  • Vitamin A
  • Iron
  • Selenium
  • Thiamin 
  • Folate
  • Niacin
  • Pantothenate
  • Riboflavin
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Phosphorus

Perhaps most importantly, beef is also one of nature’s most abundant sources of protein, a necessary nutrient that everyone needs. It’s also very low in sugar and total carbohydrates. While there are a wide variety of meats and vegetables you could consume as well for protein, beef is so nutrient-dense that it’s truly one of your best options. 

Why Do You Need More Protein? 

As we mentioned, protein is an important component in everyone's diet up there with dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fat, and micronutrients. Getting your daily value of protein is certainly just as important as eating enough healthy carbs and fats.

So, what is protein really doing for our bodies, and why do we need it? 

Protein is the compound our muscles use to recover, build and maintain. This means that whenever we’re active, either at work, exercising, or just living our daily lives, our bodies need protein to continue moving forward. 

Here are some of the reasons you might want to eat more protein:

Losing Weight

Ground beef is high in protein, so it’s a particularly filling meat option. It’s also low in net carbs, meaning it fits right into a keto or paleo diet. To be fair, though, there is some saturated fat and monounsaturated fat in even lean ground beef, whether you’re cooking with 80/20, 85/15, or even a lean 90/10. 

Nevertheless, the high amount of protein that ground beef offers still makes it ideal for your meal plan, even if your goal is to lose weight. 

Gaining Weight

If you’re looking to pick up some pounds in muscle, then protein is one of the primary building blocks you’ll need to get there. 

When you lift weights, you’re making small tears in your muscle fiber which then rebuild and become bigger. This is how you get bigger muscles. In order for your body to rebuild, it needs energy from carbohydrates, water, and protein. Ground beef is a fantastic source of protein for this goal.

How Much Protein Do You Need? 

In order to determine how much protein your body needs, you’ll need to figure out what your health and fitness goals are. Are you looking to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain? 

If you want to lose weight, protein’s ability to help keep you feeling full long after your meal can help. Aim for about 30% of your daily intake dedicated to protein to help promote weight loss. 

If you want to gain weight, make sure to eat up to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight — thank goodness beef is so delicious and high in protein!

Listening to what your body needs is crucial when it comes to developing a diet that works for you. Whether you're bulking or cutting, staying happy and healthy should always take priority over looking a certain way.

What Else Does Ground Beef Offer?

Beef isn’t just about protein. When you’re purchasing beef from a high-quality farm that treats its animals and customers properly, the meat you get is a nutritional powerhouse. From boosting your skin health to promoting healthier sleep, here’s everything in beef that will benefit your whole body:

Amino Acids

Amino acids come in both essential and nonessential forms, and beef happens to carry both. 

Especially if your goal is to be putting on muscle, these amino acids will be a huge benefit to seeing progress. 

L-Carnitine assists your blood in turning fat into energy instead of storing it, helping you lean out, and Carnosine reduces inflammation while also moderately impacting your body’s glycation process- In short, this is the chemical process of aging. Not a bad side effect of eating a grass-fed burger!

Iron

Beef is an excellent source of iron. Iron deficiency and anemia are growing problems across the globe, so if you find yourself being part of the population that needs to boost their iron, ground beef is a simple and helpful way to start. 

It’s important to note that there are two different types of iron — heme iron and non-heme. Non-heme is commonly found in fruits and vegetables, whereas heme iron is dense in red meat. 

If you are iron-deficient, make sure to check with your doctor to confirm what type of iron you need more of in your diet. 

B Vitamins

Beef contains a wide variety of B vitamins, including B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. B Vitamins are essential for the body to function properly and promote healthy skin, hair growth, and deep REM sleep. 

Antioxidants

Beef provides one of the most essential and coveted antioxidants that the body needs: Glutathione. With research showing boosts to skin health, reduction in chronic illness, and a deep strengthening of your immune system, glutathione is exactly what your body has been looking for — and beef is the jackpot.

Creatine

Yes, the popular workout supplement that boosts energy and muscle recovery is found in beef! 

Most abundantly found in beef liver, there’s approximately 350g of creatine for every 100g of beef. That’s enough creatine to get the attention of serious weightlifters. 

How Do You Prepare Ground Beef?

So, now that we’ve covered how good ground beef is as a source of protein, what’s the best way to prepare and eat it?

Tons of different meals feature ground beef, all of which can be extremely simple to put together in your kitchen. The recipes may vary, but you’ll always need your essentials: salt, pepper, a high-quality pan or heavy-bottom pot, a little bit of oil, and, of course, some grass-fed ground beef. 

Burgers

An American classic, the burger is a familiar staple in just about every meat-eating household. 

Quick and easy to make, burgers are super customizable depending on your personal preferences. All you really need to get started is the ground beef and buns, and the rest is up to you. 

Variations you could try include the classic cheeseburger and bacon-topped burger. You can also spice it up with some chipotle sauce and fried jalapeño bits. Don’t forget the ketchup and mustard!

Chili

A timeless dish whether it’s the cold of winter or you’re getting summer sun, chili is a reliable way to get more beef protein into your life. 

By throwing together some beef, onion, kidney beans, tomatoes, and a premixed package of chili seasonings, you can have a hot, protein-rich meal in no time at all. 

Chili also goes well on top of French fries and hot dogs. If you want to double up on your beef protein, you can even make a chili-topped burger or hot dog.

Tacos

Don’t have a lot of time to make dinner? No problem at all. To make beef tacos, you just need to cook your ground meat, warm up some tortillas, and add some cheese and guacamole on top.

You can easily find taco seasoning at any local grocery store already mixed and ready to go, but if you want to try making your own blend, make sure to stock up on cumin, paprika, cayenne, and garlic.

Shepherd’s Pie

A dish from our friends across the pond, shepherd’s pie is a staple in British cuisine. Delectably warm with a blend of ground beef, carrots, onions, and potatoes, shepherd’s pie is a hearty meal for when the fall comes around. 

To make shepherd’s pie, you’ll need to cook your beef and combine it with finely chopped vegetables. Next, layer your mix in a baking tray and cover with mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake in the oven until fragrant and golden brown, and you’ve got yourself a filling dinner for the rest of the week. 

Ground Beef: More Than Just Protein

Ground beef is a tasty, easy-to-prepare, and affordable meal option. 

Full of antioxidants, vitamins, and especially protein, beef is hard to compete with when it comes to easily accessible meats. You might be trying to lose weight, maintain your current figure, or build your biceps — either way, ground beef is there to help support your body’s growth and recovery. 

Remember that a healthy diet consists of a balance between protein, complex carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Beef, while a solid source of protein, is best when accompanied by some flavorful vegetables and other nutrient-dense whole foods. It’s all about balance.

Sources:

Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance | Jomes

How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution | NCBI

What Are the Benefits of Glutathione? | Medical News Today

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