Is beef healthy?

Beef is eaten in many countries and prepared in many different ways. Meat is also very popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. Examples are the well-known varieties such as the red and white, black and white or the Belgian white blue. Beef is actually a collective name for meat that can come from a cow, a bull, a heifer and an ox. In addition to being very tasty, beef also contains many important nutrients. Despite this, beef often gets negative publicity. Is beef actually as healthy as we think?

How healthy is beef?

The bad reputation of beef, or actually of meat in general, is somewhat more nuanced than people often think. Of course you should never exaggerate with quantities, also with beef. A piece of meat a week for a few days is good, three pieces every day is a bit exaggerated. It is never good to overdo it, not with beef or with all other foods.

In the Netherlands and Belgium there is strict legislation and they apply very strict controls with regard to meat. It is therefore easy to reconstruct the journey the meat has traveled from feed producer to the store. You will not find this transparency in every country, so when people go on holiday it is important to read carefully about the food safety of a country.

In general, beef is leaner than pork. However, this strongly depends on the animal, the food and the body part. For example, cattle that often eat grass and herbs would give meat that is less fat than cattle that eat a lot of grains. When you choose a piece of lean beef, it already contains less than ten grams of fat per 100 grams. When you choose steak, roast beef or tournedos, this is even less than three grams per 100 grams. The leaner the beef, the more protein it contains and the less saturated fat. When meat may be consumed in a diet, lean beef is often also recommended.

Before you take beef from the store, it is of course important to carefully check the expiration date. At home, it is best to store beef in the coldest place in the refrigerator or in the freezer. When defrosting beef from the freezer, it is important not to put defrosted meat back in the freezer. Meat that has been baked or broiled once will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. If you choose ground meat from the store, it can usually only be kept for one day, not yet prepared. Meat that you cut into portions usually takes two days.

Veal has a different taste and texture than beef. This is because veal is lean to very lean. Veal comes from animals less than eight months old. It contains less iron than beef, but contains a lot of vitamins B3, B6 and B12. It is rich in protein and also high in zinc. Another advantage of veal is its easy digestibility and the meat is usually very tender.

There are many ways to cook beef. Grilling, baking, roasting, boiling, stewing, etc. It is best to start by cutting away the fat edges. When the oil, butter or other baking agent is hot, put the meat in the pan. This sears the meat immediately and it can no longer store extra fat, it also ensures that as little flavor as possible is lost. It is better not to use so much salt, it is better to choose other herbs for this. When you only season meat in the pan, it loses a lot of moisture. It is best to do this before you put the meat in the pan. To make meat sauces a little less fat, add a little water or low-fat stock.

When people have a zinc deficiency, after eating a piece of beef they already consume 40 percent of the daily recommended amount. People who are vegetarian or vegan are therefore advised to take extra zinc in the form of a supplement, for example. A zinc deficiency can also cause skin problems, a reduced functioning of the immune system, hair loss, rheumatism and vision problems.

You get about 2.1 milligrams of iron per 100 grams of beef. Iron is important for oxygen transport in the blood. The iron from beef is heme iron, this iron is absorbed much better by our body than non-heme iron, which you can find in plants, for example. For small children, iron is important for cognitive development and the building of the immune system. Many young people and women absorb too little iron, which can cause anemia, for example.

Vitamin B12 causes our body to produce red blood cells. Our nervous and immune systems also work optimally thanks to vitamin B12. Beef contains quite a lot of vitamin B12, but you can also find it in fish, eggs, milk, dairy products and other meat. People who (have to) remove meat (and other animal products) from their menu are certainly recommended to take extra vitamin B12.