National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. is your resource for all things beef. American Heart Association Heart-Check certified recipes, educational tools, shopper insights, and nutrition research are just a small part of what’s available to help you market and answer questions about America’s beloved protein.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Beef in a Heart Healthy Diet

With the New Year approaching, today’s retail shoppers often look to their local grocery store for guidance when it comes to planning delicious, nutritious meals. Helps shoppers maintain meal planning momentum into Heart Health Month by reminding them that even their favorite foods, like lean beef, can fit comfortably on a heart-healthy plate.

Beef is a nutrient-dense food that can support a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle. In fact, numerous research studies have shown that incorporating lean beef in a heart-healthy diet can maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.¹ A 3-oz serving of lean beef has about 170 calories on average and is a natural source of 10 essential nutrients like protein, B-vitamins, iron, and zinc.²

The truth is any cut of beef can be consumed as part of an overall healthy dietary pattern.  Plus, many beef cuts sold at the grocery store meet government guidelines for “lean,” and that includes many popular favorites like Strip Steak, Flank Steak, and even Tenderloin. ^ii,3

Check out the Research: There are over 20 scientific studies that support the role of lean beef in a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle. Catch up on some of the research covering the relationship between beef consumption and heart health:

• The Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) Study demonstrated that participants consuming a DASH-style dietary pattern rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy, with lean beef (up to 5.5 ounces per day) as the primary protein source saw improvements in blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure.^7,10
• Following a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern that incorporates up to 18 oz of fresh lean red meat (beef and pork tenderloin) per week may reduce heart disease risk factors, such as total and LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.11  Additionally, another study demonstrated that up to 5.5 ounce of lean beef per day in a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern improved blood cholesterol levels.⁴
• Another recent study found consuming up to 5.3 ounces of fresh lean beef a day in a healthy US-Style eating pattern does not adversely affect risk factors for development of cardiometabolic disease or type 2 diabetes.³