High-fat steaks have earned a reputation for being unhealthy. If you are concerned about your heart health but you love steak, you may be able to include certain kinds in your diet. Specifically, steak from grass-fed cows is a healthier meat, according to MayoClinic.com. It is leaner and therefore lower in undesirable fats that contribute to heart disease and other maladies.
Calories and Macronutrients
A single steak from a grass-fed cow weighs approximately 214 g, or 7.5 oz. It has 250 calories and is carbohydrate-free. The lean steak has 6 g total fat, including only 2.2 g cholesterol-raising saturated fat. The steak has 50 g protein, or close to the amount most adults need in a day. If you fry your steak in oil or butter, the calorie and fat content will be higher than if you grill or roast your steak without adding fat.
Cholesterol
A grass-fed steak contains 118 mg cholesterol. Cholesterol from your diet raises levels of cholesterol in your blood, and healthy adults should have no more than 300 mg cholesterol per day. The recommended limit for some individuals, such as those with high cholesterol or heart disease, is 200 mg, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary cholesterol will have less of an effect on your blood cholesterol levels if your overall diet is low in saturated fat.
Minerals
Grass-fed steak has 4 mg iron, or 22 percent of the daily value. The iron from beef and other animal products is in its heme form, which is easier for your body to absorb than iron from plant-based sources. Zinc is necessary for your immune system, and steak has 7.7 mg zinc, or 50 percent of the daily value. It is naturally high in potassium, with 732 mg, and low in sodium, with 118 mg. It has 45 micrograms selenium, or 64 percent of the daily value for this antioxidant.
Vitamins
A lean grass-fed steak provides14 mg niacin, or 70 percent of the daily value. The steak has 2.7 micrograms vitamin B-12, or 23 percent of the daily value. The only natural sources of vitamin B-12 are animal-derived foods. Although it is not a vitamin, choline is an essential nutrient for your heart health, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. A grass-fed steak has 139 mg choline, or about one-sixth of the daily intake of the average American.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Beef Products
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Grass-fed Beef; What are the Heart-Health Benefits?; Martha Grogan; March 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Choline; Victoria Drake; January 2008
Member Comments