America's love affair with beef is illustrated by the tagline for the Cattleman's Beef Board and the National Cattleman's Beef Association, " Beef -- It's What's for Dinner" (3). While there are many different cuts of beef, the steak is one of the most popular. Of the many different steaks, the ribeye and the New York Strip are two of the most popular. (2)
Calories
A serving of boneless ribeye steak has about 260 calories, but some leaner cuts can have as few as 170 calories. A serving of New York Strip steak has 210 calories, with leaner cuts having as little as 150 calories. Keep in mind that a serving of steak is 3 oz., not the 6, 8 or 10 oz. commonly served in restaurants.
Fat
According to MayoClinic.com, the average 2,000-calorie-per-day diet should allow for 44 to 78 g of total fat per day, with no more than 15 g coming from saturated fat. A 3 oz. serving of ribeye steak contains 20 grams of fat with 8 g of saturated fat, but a leaner ribeye may have only 10 g of fat with 5 g of saturated fat. The same size serving of New York Strip steak contains 12 g of fat with 5 grams of saturated fat, and a leaner New York Strip may have as little as 6 g of fat and 4 g of saturated fat.
Carbohydrates/Protein
Being pure mea, steak has no carbohydrates, no matter which cut you get, but it has a hefty dose of protein. A serving of ribeye steak contains 21 g of protein, and a serving of New York Strip contains 24 g of protein. A balanced diet includes 10 to 35 percent protein -- for an average 2,000-calorie diet, this means 50 to 175 grams per day.
Sodium/Cholesterol
A ribeye steak contains 55 mg of sodium and 70 mg of cholesterol, but a leaner cut may have as little as 50 mg of cholesterol. A New York Strip steak has 60 mg of sodium and 65 mg of cholesterol, but a leaner cut may have only 55 mg of cholesterol. The sodium comes from the meat, but the cholesterol comes from the fat -- the less fat on the cut, the less cholesterol it contains. MayoClinic.com recommends keeping your sodium intake between 1,500 and 2,300 mg per day and your cholesterol intake below 300 mg per day.
Vitamins/Minerals
Beef is not a source of fiber, sugar, calcium or vitamins, but it is a good source of iron. Both the ribeye and the New York Strip contain 10 to 15 percent of the Daily Recommended Value for iron.
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