Venison steak can be a welcome alternative to typical supermarket meat offerings, such as beef steak or pork chops. Make this nutritious meat tenderer by cubing it with a mallet or a meat tenderizer. Remember to cook your venison steak thoroughly before eating it, and to prevent lead poisoning when you are hunting your own deer, MayoClinic.com suggests using lead-free ammunition.
Nutritional Background
A 3-ounce portion of broiled venison cube steak has 128 calories and 0 gram carbohydrates. It has only 2 grams of total fat, less than 1 grams of saturated fat and 67 milligrams cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol from your food raise levels of cholesterol in your blood and may increase your risk for heart disease. Lean game meats, such as venison, are often lower in fat and cholesterol than fatty cuts of beef or pork, according to MayoClinic.com.
High-Protein Food
A 3-ounce portion of broiled venison cube loin steak has 26 grams protein. Protein is an necessary nutrient for maintaining lean muscle mass and other tissues in your body as well as keeping your immune system strong. The protein in venison and all animal-derived products, including meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and dairy products, is high-quality. This means that it provides each of the essential amino acids that you need to get from your diet because your body cannot make them, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Sodium and Potassium
Venison cube steak has 48 milligrams sodium and 338 milligrams potassium, compared to recommendations for healthy adults to get no more than 2,300 milligrams sodium and at least 4,700 milligrams potassium per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A high-sodium, low-potassium diet can cause high blood pressure and increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. Fresh meats are typically lower in sodium and higher in potassium than processed choices, such as cold cuts or sausages.
Other Nutrients
Venison has 3.5 milligrams iron, or 19 percent of the daily value, in a 3-ounce serving. Iron is necessary for preventing anemia, and the iron from venison and other animal products is in its heme form, which is easier for your body to absorb than non-heme iron in plant-based sources of iron, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Cubed venison loin steak has 3 milligrams zinc, or 20 percent of the daily value, and is a good source of vitamins B-12 and B-6, as well as niacin or vitamin B-3.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Lamb, Veal and Game Products
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- Mayo Clinic; Wild Game: A Healthy Choice?; Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky; December 2009
- Harvard School of Public Health: Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Vitamin B-6; Victoria Drake; November 2007
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Niacin; Victoria Drake; June 2007
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