What does lean mean?

According to USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), a cut of cooked fresh meat is considered “lean” when it contains less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams (3½ oz) and per RACC (Reference Amount Customarily Consumed), which is 85 grams (3 oz)₁

Today's beef is leaner than ever

Thanks to enhancements in cattle breeding and feeding, as well as improved trimming practices, more than 60 percent of whole muscle cuts found in the supermarket are considered lean when cooked with visible fat trimmed. In fact, the number of beef cuts that qualify as “lean” has increased sixfold from 1989 to 2013.₄ This is because of a multi-decade, coordinated effort by cattle farmers, ranchers and processors to meet the growing consumer demand for lean beef.  It starts with careful breeding and includes ongoing monitoring and improving the feed type and amounts. Providing cattle exercise by allowing them to graze in pastures helps enhance muscle and encourage leanness, as well.

is grass-fed beef leaner beef?

Contrary to popular belief, all cattle spend a majority of their lives eating grass on pastures. Some cattle may be “grass-finished,” meaning the cattle spend their entire lives on a pasture, whereas other cattle are grain-finished, moving from the pasture to a feedlot. And while grass-finished cattle tend to be leaner,₅ there are a number of variables that contribute to leanness, including breed, age, grade and cut.₆

lean: all the taste with less of the fat

Bringing lean meat to the marketplace involves a coordinated effort among the farmers and ranchers who raise the cattle, the nutritionists overseeing the diet fed to the cows, the processors who cut and trim the meat before it’s ready to be sold at retail, and the butchers who may further cut the meat and place it into consumer-ready packaging. They do all of this to provide nutritious, safe and delicious beef for people to eat and enjoy.

resources for health professionals

There are a variety of tools and resources to learn more about lean beef and to share with your patients and clients. Or we love to connect directly with you. Tell us how we can help >> CONNECT HERE

• Lean Matters: The story of lean beef and monitoring for/updating Standard Reference data (Courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com)
• Beef & Health

• Today's Beef Choices

• Research Paper: Impact of grass/forage feeding versus grain finishing on beef nutrients and sensory quality: The U.S. experience, Meat Science 2014

• Surprising Facts about Lean Beef