With spring underway, our house is bustling as this is one of the busiest times of the year for us on the ranch. Spring time is most noted in our house by calving and planting. This lifestyle often results in late night suppers, night checks to ensure the cows are not having any issues, and long hours of work as the farmers and ranchers are working hard to the crops in and ensure their cows and calves are doing well. It’s a type of work that many have been brought up in through generations. As a dietitian and wife of a rancher/farmer, I marvel at the work they do and it reminds me of the importance of promoting our local produce!
Beef is an excellent source of 10 essential nutrients, especially protein, selenium, iron, zinc, and choline. There are 29 lean sources of beef that meet the government guidelines for lean. Red meat often gets a bad rap in the media, however the bottom line is that lean beef does truly offer several health benefits to us including heart health, muscle development, and weight management due to its excellent nutrient content.
Now yes, I may be a little biased since this is a way of life for my family, however nutrionally speaking it truly is a great source of nutrients. I am not telling you go out and get a fatty 20 oz steak, but I am telling you it’s ok to incorporate portion controlled lean sources of beef into your daily intake.
Today I signed up to become a part of Team BEEF. Team BEEF is part of the South Dakota Beef Council and is a community of runners and health enthusiasts who recognize the nutritional benefits of lean beef and the important role high quality protein can play in training. I am excited to represent South Dakota Team BEEF at the Buffalo NY marathon/half marthon my brother and I will be running in May. Next week I plan to discuss a few concepts of beef and its nutrition.
-Kelsey
*The picture just a glimpse of what our ranch looks like right now or as Adam calls it, “the nursery.” 🙂
