Where's the beef?

Life_is_Good
Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My husband & I have been dieting for a month now.

He's lost 15 - I've lost 7 - we are extremely impressed with ourselves.

Both of us love to cook, so we've had alot of fun trying new 'healthy' recipes... but... we can't find anything with beef that doesn't go over the top on calories.

Before the diet, almost every dinner included some cut of beef... I guess I'm just venting... I really miss my meat & potatoes(covered with cheese:smile: )

Replies

  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
    My husband & I have been dieting for a month now.

    He's lost 15 - I've lost 7 - we are extremely impressed with ourselves.

    Both of us love to cook, so we've had alot of fun trying new 'healthy' recipes... but... we can't find anything with beef that doesn't go over the top on calories.

    Before the diet, almost every dinner included some cut of beef... I guess I'm just venting... I really miss my meat & potatoes(covered with cheese:smile: )
  • rh2008
    rh2008 Posts: 10
    Unless I mistaking, I don't think that a lean cut of beef is going to be any more cals than a piece of chicken. Just don't cover it with lots of cheese. What about some low-fat cheese (ONE SERVING)?
    It's gonna be okay!!
    Good job on those pounds falling off!
  • chiefiron
    chiefiron Posts: 305 Member
    I agree with you.....i miss my "Beef" as well but each and every time i have some i go over somewhere either cals or fat.

    I would suggest that if you do eat red meat just plan accordingly and go light on other meals.

    Stick with it and eat lots of chicken breast cooked all kinds of ways.

    Tim
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
    Yes, steaks and ground beef are not a "staple" in my diet anymore.:grumble: Only because it does have almost 1.5 percentage the calories per gram than chicken and other meats:noway: , I can eat way more of the other meats so I tend to have them in the diet more. You'll just have to make steak, roasts and burgs on more of a treat day when you have extra cals from exersicing. It is important (in my eyes) if you are not a vegetarian to include some red meat in the diet sometimes.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    depending on the cut, beef isn't necessarilly unhealthy. It does usually contain more calories, but then again, people usually take larger portions of beef then other meats. I.E. ever hear of a 12 0z turkey dinner? but a 12 0z prime rib is an average cut (ack! 12 oz! that's an insane amount of meat).

    So find lean cuts (fillet cuts are VERY lean) and keep the portions between 5 and 8 oz and you should be able to fit them in. Also you can find 90% fat free ground beef in most grocery stores, it's as much about portion control with beef as anything.
  • zombiesniper
    zombiesniper Posts: 36
    Well since I have my beef farm raised and organic it is hard for me to want to buy at the store. According to our butcher and the Ag department our beef is all about 95% lean. I know that it is a little more expensive to buy the Lower fat beef but it does help also trim as much fat as you can off a steak or raost always helps to.



    Tis the season for me to crank up the BBQ and Smoker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    :happy: :bigsmile:
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
    My girls and I love chicken and turkey so it's a big help when we do meal planning. Hubby on the other hand loves his pork and beef. When grilling, I always have both. When we mix it into the meal, it can be a little harder. I made the switch for him by making things half beef/half turkey and then all turkey. He's adjusted pretty well and with enough spices and seasonings, he hardly knows the difference. I have some ideas I'll send you later.
  • rh2008
    rh2008 Posts: 10
    Okay, I must be looking at a different calorie counter. A 4oz chicken breast w/o skin is 132cals. A 4oz Filet mignon is 120cals. Extra lean ground 4oz - 130 cals. What am I missing here? Where do all those added calories come from that you are talking about? Help!
    I'm using The Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter and others.
  • goodtimesdani
    goodtimesdani Posts: 29
    The other day at Wal Mart I found a package of "Laura's Lean Beef Patties" cute package- says 75% less fat than regular hamburger patties. i added them to the food database so you can look up how many calories on patty has. anyway, i got those and whole wheat buns and had burgers with no cheese and they were amazing!!
  • mommyskis
    mommyskis Posts: 277 Member
    I don't know if you used a lot of hamburger meat, but I've been using ground turkey instead. We can't even tell the difference when you use it in spaghetti, tacos, etc. It's just a little more than half the calories. The texture is different in burgers though.
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
    I make 4 oz burgers with half turkey & half beef. Tastes great.
  • lizard9800
    lizard9800 Posts: 474 Member
    Bison (buffalo) is the healthiest meat out there according to the USDA. Followed by deer, turkey, chicken, beef and pork. And bison tastes just like beef, but better!! You can make a very healthy stew using bison and a lot of veggies. I still eat meat, but load up the veggies on the side.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Okay, I must be looking at a different calorie counter. A 4oz chicken breast w/o skin is 132cals. A 4oz Filet mignon is 120cals. Extra lean ground 4oz - 130 cals. What am I missing here? Where do all those added calories come from that you are talking about? Help!
    I'm using The Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter and others.

    nah, your right. Filet is the leanest cut of beef and is equivalent to chicken calorie wise. Beef has more cholesterol, but other then that, filet is a great cut. Although for me, 4 oz would be a tease. :laugh:
  • elliott062907
    elliott062907 Posts: 1,508 Member
    Speaking of beef, meat, in general, if you are worried about the size, portion, just do lean and get you a oz measurer. I have one and it is great. Was adout $10 and I measure all my cuts of meat so I won't have to worry about over doing it.
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
    An ounce measurer or any scale while counting calories is a huge benefit, I agree:smile:
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
    I almost feel bad for saying this but i've eaten steak nearly every night the past few weeks, and my cals are still down, the 12 oz steak i had last night was hanging off both sides of the plate lol, and i couldn't finish it.

    Sorry :happy:

    Al
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    I think just portioning it out and choosing a loin cut which is generally leaner is the key. I get my ground beef patties at Trader Joes. They have pre-portioned patties out and have them calculated as 150 calories and 5 g of fat each. That usually takes care of my beef craving!

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