Although the American Heart Association warns against making red meat a mainstay of your family's diet, serving lean steaks occasionally provides kids with an excellent source of protein, B vitamins and minerals. Choose steaks with less visible fat, and look for words like "lean," "sirloin" or "round" on the package. A serving size equals 3 to 4 oz., or about the size of a deck of cards. If your child usually eats less than that, adjust the estimated nutritional information accordingly.
Protein
Protein helps kids develop muscles, bolster immunity and maintain healthy organ function. Like all meats, steak is an excellent source of protein. Depending on the steak type, a 3.5-oz. serving of steak provides about 25 g protein. Children need 1 g protein for every 2 lbs. of body weight per day, notes KidsHealth.org. A 50-lb. child, therefore, can get a day's supply of protein from a regular serving of steak, while a teen weighing 150 lbs. receives about one-third of his or her daily protein needs.
Vitamins
Steak provides B vitamins for growing children, especially riboflavin, niacin, B-6 and B-12. All of the B vitamins help turn starchy foods into energy. Riboflavin also encourages good vision, while vitamins B-12 and B-6 promote healthy nerve function, with vitamin B-6 additionally working to process the protein your children eat. Niacin also helps the nervous system function, along with keeping skin healthy.
Minerals
Red meat is a good source of iron. Depending on the cut and serving size, steak supplies as much as 18 percent of the DV for iron. Kids need iron for energy. The mineral supports red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. People who are low in iron may develop anemia, which causes fatigue, muscle weakness and poor growth. One they begin to menstruate, teen girls need more iron to compensate for the amount depleted by blood loss. Steak also supplies about 20 percent DV for phosphorus, needed by children for energy and for proper bone and teeth development. Kids will also receive about one-third of the zinc they need from a serving of steak. Zinc supports growth, promotes healing from injury and helps protect children from illness. Additionally, kids can get about 8 to 10 percent of the potassium they need each day from a serving of steak. The mineral keeps muscles and nerves working properly and promotes healthy fluid balance.
Fat and Cholesterol
The leanest cuts of steak help you give your family the nutrients they need without piling on saturated fat. A trimmed beef top sirloin steak, for example, is higher in protein than fattier cuts, and contains about 20 percent of the saturated fat and one-quarter of the dietary cholesterol recommended for the day. Fattier cuts of T-bone steaks, on the other hand, might have about 40 percent of the limit for saturated fat, although the dietary cholesterol count is the same.
Member Comments