Canadians Making the Switch to Leaner Ground Beef
When it comes to Canadians’ favourite meat, ground beef, there has been a dramatic shift to lower fat choices. Currently, 71 per cent of the ground beef sold at retail stores is either lean or extra lean. Now with new nutritional data available, nutrition experts can determine the impact of this healthy change.
“Extra lean ground beef was introduced in Canada in 1988,” explains Pat Scarlett, Nutrition Manager for the Beef Information Centre. “Since then, it has been rapidly gaining in popularity with a 55 per cent growth in sales over the last four years alone. In some provinces the rate of conversion to lean has been even faster than the national average – 150 per cent in Atlantic provinces, 67 per cent in Ontario, 99 per cent in the Prairies and 88 per cent in Alberta.”
However, the lack of available nutritional data, particularly for extra lean ground beef, has made it difficult to appreciate how this change has been improving the diet of Canadians.
When Canadian dietitians and home economists calculate the nutrient content of recipes, they generally use figures from the Canadian Nutrient File. Until now, there was no information on extra lean ground beef and the remaining data on ground beef came primarily from US sources. With the release of new figures for raw and cooked ground beef, based on independent laboratory analysis of samples collected from supermarkets across Canada, health professionals will now have up-to-date Canadian figures.
“Although, by law, extra lean ground beef can have no more than 10 per cent fat, the new analysis shows that the average is much less, closer to 7 per cent,” says Scarlett. “The same trend is noticeable with lean ground beef, the most popular form accounting for more than half of all retail sales. Lean ground beef can have a maximum of 17 per cent fat, but on the average it is between 13 and 14 per cent.”
Extra lean and lean ground beef also qualify for Health Check™, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada program which makes it easier to shop for wise food choices. In order to qualify for Health Check™, foods must meet specific criteria developed on a category-by-category basis by a national advisory committee of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and based on Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
The new figures show that medium and regular ground beef in Canada is also generally lower in fat than expected. The maximum fat allowed in medium ground beef is 23 per cent, but the average is 16 per cent fat; for regular ground beef the maximum is 30 per cent, but the product you buy is likely to have 24 per cent fat, or less.
Like all cuts of beef, ground beef is considered to be a nutrient dense food. That is, it provides many essential nutrients including iron, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B12.
During cooking, fat is usually drained off and there is some moisture loss. This leaves the cooked meat even more concentrated in vitamins and minerals. Tables, that are now available to dietitians from the Beef Information Centre, provide full analyses for various cooking methods – broiled and pan fried patties, and crumbles.
Crumbles is the term used to describe loose ground beef that is stir fried, browned and drained before using in a pasta sauce, taco filling, lasagna or other mixed dish. Usually fat is drained from crumbles, and they can even be rinsed with hot water to further reduce the fat content.
Ground beef is so versatile – whether served as a hamburger, in a pasta sauce, taco and casserole, it’s no wonder it is Canada’s most popular meat.
Your Complete Guide to Ground Beef