Lean ground beef vs Regular

Options
me_ona_diet
me_ona_diet Posts: 71 Member
edited May 2015 in Social Groups
I just had a thought, looking at the hamburger pic in another thread... Do you all use regular ground beef or lean?
I've always bought lean ground because I've found that regular is too greasy, but I'm also wondering if it's just a holdover from the low fat mentality, and maybe I should switch back to regular?
«1

Replies

  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Options
    I go out of my way to get fattier ground beef. At least 80/20 but often 75/25.
  • jumanajane
    jumanajane Posts: 438 Member
    Options
    I have changed from lean to regular. Regarding burgers how often do you think they use 'fillers'? I ask if we are eating out but often the staff have no idea. Same goes for sausages and hotdogs???
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Options
    I think it happens once in a while at restaurants, but not to a huge amount. I don't stress about that any more than I stress about them using sugar in a dry run run, when I eat out. You can't control or worry about every possible carb sneaking in.
  • KarlaYP
    KarlaYP Posts: 4,439 Member
    Options
    The paradigm shift isn't easy at first. Switching to fattier (word?) Cuts of meat is a whole new way of thinking.
  • me_ona_diet
    me_ona_diet Posts: 71 Member
    Options
    I've already found that I prefer the dark meat of poultry to the white, because it's got so much more flavour and isn't as dry. The ground beef thing didn't even register though until someone said something about fattier meat, and I was like, hey! I could probably switch to the regular - it's usually a bit cheaper even :)
  • KarlaYP
    KarlaYP Posts: 4,439 Member
    Options
    Yes, it's cheaper. Some say they don't save money on this woe. But, I say I do. I guess when the pocketbook is used to paying for the leaner cuts it becomes a savings. Still nice to have a quicker grocery store run without having to go aisle to aisle looking for boxes and bags of faux food!:-)
  • jumanajane
    jumanajane Posts: 438 Member
    Options
    Lol, its amazing how fast the shopping trips are these days much to hubbys delight!! Doesnt it make you marvel at how many of the foods must by default, be carbs and how much people eat and therefore spend on them. Lets not even mention all those 'special diet foods' all the CICO people spend so much on! Butchery, chilled and veggies and we are done!
  • ChairmanWow
    ChairmanWow Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    We've been buying at least 80/20 or fattier, but I wonder if it is really the best bang for your buck. I browned 3 pounds of 75/25 the other week and weighed it after I drained it, the result being only 2 pounds of ground beef. 1/3 of the price lost in water and rendered fat. So that leads me to wonder if leaner ground beef makes more sense, but then adding back in fats afterwards (i.e. mayo, sour cream, butter, etc).
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    We've been buying at least 80/20 or fattier, but I wonder if it is really the best bang for your buck. I browned 3 pounds of 75/25 the other week and weighed it after I drained it, the result being only 2 pounds of ground beef. 1/3 of the price lost in water and rendered fat. So that leads me to wonder if leaner ground beef makes more sense, but then adding back in fats afterwards (i.e. mayo, sour cream, butter, etc).

    Well, there's your problem.
  • ChairmanWow
    ChairmanWow Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    ha! C'mon! I don't want to eat taco flavored ground beef soup. :smile:
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    We use ground turkey because its cheaper here. I have to add fat back in, though. Usually with mayo or cheese.
  • kmbweber2014
    kmbweber2014 Posts: 680 Member
    Options
    ha! C'mon! I don't want to eat taco flavored ground beef soup. :smile:

    Not draining it makes the best tacos. Just ground beef and taco seasoning, delicious.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    Not draining away the fat makes the best everything. :smile:

    I prefer 75/25 because I don't need even more protein or the calorie savings from leaner ground beef. I would just have to add less flavorful fat back to my meal to make up for the lost calories anyway.
  • Fat4Fuel2
    Fat4Fuel2 Posts: 280 Member
    Options
    We've been buying at least 80/20 or fattier, but I wonder if it is really the best bang for your buck. I browned 3 pounds of 75/25 the other week and weighed it after I drained it, the result being only 2 pounds of ground beef. 1/3 of the price lost in water and rendered fat. So that leads me to wonder if leaner ground beef makes more sense, but then adding back in fats afterwards (i.e. mayo, sour cream, butter, etc).

    Pour/Cook veggies in the meat fat... SO GOOD! or even as a salad dressing!
  • raulvarelajr
    raulvarelajr Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    New here. I usually go for a super lean 99% ground turkey breast. Why is more fat in the ground beef better?
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    New here. I usually go for a super lean 99% ground turkey breast. Why is more fat in the ground beef better?

    Because you need fat in your diet in order to absorb nutrients, have enough energy (protein is not fuel, so when you reduce carbs, you have to increase fat), and otherwise remain healthy.

    And food tastes better when there's more fat.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,553 Member
    Options
    We use 80/20 ground beef, though I did have to admit, it made the messiest taco meat the other night. For burgers though, there is no comparison, 80/20 is awesome!
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    Options
    I buy the lower fat kind as the fattier cheaper one here is gristly and chewy. I just cook the lean in butter and it's plenty fstty enough.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,553 Member
    Options
    Even 80/20 ground beef is getting pricy, at 4.29-4.59$/lb here. Ground beef is supposed to be cheap!
  • MistressPi
    MistressPi Posts: 514 Member
    Options
    It depends on your recipe. If you're making soup, and you don't want a greasy soup, use lower fat ground beef. I try using a slotted spoon to remove the browned meat into a bowl and using some of the fat rendered to brown my aromatic veggies, but it still might be necessary to drain off fat. Unless you're adding something that absorbs the fat in your recipe (like canned pumpkin or mushrooms).

    Meatloaf is the same way. If you add ingredients that absorb the excess fat, like minced mushrooms or a bit of almond meal, you get a meatloaf that is moist and tasty. If you don't add these things, the fat just renders out of the meatloaf. You can save the suet to use in another recipe, but it usually ends up just sitting in my refrigerator for an ungodly amount of time because I tend to use bacon grease, lard, ghee or coconut oil much more often.