Red Meat Nutrition Facts - Redmeat Benefits

You already know meat makes a valuable contribution to the intake of iron and zinc in the Australian diet. Studies show that eating red meat helps prevent iron and zinc deficiency.

What you may not know is that it's also the second largest contributor of omega-3, after fish.

Essential nutrients, such as iron and zinc, are important for women and during stages of growth and development. It's also deliciously easy to include in your family's daily meals. Don't forget to check out our yummy beef recipies: Light Beef Salad Recipe, Tasty Tomato Chilli Meat Balls, Easy Beef Stroganoff.

Nutrients in Red Meat - Nutrition Facts and Information

Red meat is naturally nutrient rich and provides essential nutrients required for a healthy body and mind.

• IRON - Wonder fuel for bains - people low in iron may feel slow in thought and action. Iron is also critical for carrying the oxygen in blood that cells neeed to make energy.
• ZINC - Red meat is a great source of zince, an essential nutrient for the immune system, growth and wound healing.
• OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS - Omega-3s are the building blocks of brain cellsand play an important role in heart health.
• AMINO ACIDS - Red meat is a significant source of high-quality protein, providing all the essential amino acids.
• B-GROUP VITAMINS - An ideal source for B-group vitamins, red meat delivers riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Discover How To Maximise The Benefits Of Eating Lean Red Meat

High in nutrients and low in fat, lean red meat is healthier than you may think. "The composition of Australian red meat tends to be incredibily lean, so the amount of fat in a small piece of steak can be as little as 3-5 grams", says Dr Manny Noakes, senior research dietitian at CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences. As well as protein and iron, red meat is packed with energy boosting B vitamins, zinc for immunity and omega-3's for heart health. Many of these nutrients are more concentrated and easily absorbed than those found in other protein sources, adds Noakes, which means a little goes a long way. Maximise the goodness of your meat with these tips:

1. Choose Leaner Cuts: Go for one without marbling and trim all visible fat before cooking. Mince can be a little trickier. "Generally, the rule is the more expensive the mince, the lower the fat, but you can also buy cheaper pieces of lean meat and mince them yourself," says Noakes.
2. Cook It Right: While it's fine for meat to be slightly browned, char-grilling it until it's black or cooking at very high temperatures may cause harmful chemicals to form. Stick to cooking methods that use a lower heat setting over longer periods - US food scientists found that baking, poaching, stir-frying and stewing are the healthiest cooking techniques.
3. Watch Your Serves: Australian dietary guidelines recommend eating red meat 3-4 times a week. "A guide for serve sizes is 100g to 200g raw weight (65g to 150g cooked weight) or a portion roughly the size of your palm," says Noakes. Make it your main meal, when the satiating effect of the protein can help stop you grazing afterwards.