Beef Fact Friday: Family (Not Factory) Farming

Factory farming? Not so fast.

More than 97% of U.S. beef cattle farms and ranches are family owned and operated. How's that for a #BeefFactFriday?

 It's about a legacy of cattle producers working hard 365 days a year -- no furloughs or holidays off, that’s for sure-- to provide a safe, delicious and nutritious food supply for your family and families across the globe.


Learn more about sustainable modern beef production at FactsAboutBeef.com, and help put consumers in touch with agriculture by spreading the word. 

Beef Fact Friday: BOLD Reasons to Eat Lean Beef

Photo Credit: Facts About Beef

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends lean beef as part of a healthy lifestyle! With that in mind, allow lean beef to help you power through your day while sticking to your New Year resolution for better overall eating and fitness. Here are four bold reasons why lean beef supports your New Year resolutions for today’s #BeefFactFriday.

----The following article is from Facts About Beef----

4 BOLD Reasons Lean Beef Supports Your New Year’s Resolutions

When planning and implementing your New Year’s Resolutions for this year it’s important to stack the deck in your favor, to increase the likelihood of your success. Many have found great success enjoying beef as a top source of lean protein and essential nutrients. Here are 4 BOLD reasons to include lean beef (and its many benefits) in your diet in 2016 and beyond!
Lean beef satisfies a heart healthy diet

Multiple research papers published from Penn State University Clinical Nutrition Research Center on the BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet) study have shown that a heart healthy diet, including lean beef daily, leads to simultaneous reductions in a variety of risk factors for heart disease including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (often called ‘bad cholesterol’), and blood pressure.
Today’s beef is a satisfying lean protein choice to support your weight loss goals

Protein plays an extremely important role in weight loss, and lean beef is equipped to provide you all the research-proven benefits. Research shows that protein rich food like lean beef may help increase feelings of fullness and control cravings, while also packing the ideal levels of a key compound called leucine, which helps your body build calorie burning muscle.
Lean beef is packed with nutrients you need, not excessive calories that you don’t

Calorie for calorie, it is hard to beat all the nutrients you get from a single serving of lean beef. When you are watching and reducing your calorie intake to aid in your weight loss efforts, it can be hard to get all the nutrients that your body needs to stay nourished and energized. Just a 3oz serving of lean beef contains more than 10% of your daily needs of all these essential nutrients – protein (50%), zinc (39%), vitamin B12 (37%), selenium (24%), phosphorus (20%), niacin (18%), Vitamin B6 (16%), iron (14%), riboflavin (12%). With so many flavorful ways to prepare lean beef, you can keep your diet exciting and fresh

A major downfall of “healthy diets” is the doom and gloom associated with their bland menus. Lean beef brings the variety and flavors that you love with the health punch your body needs. Don’t relinquish your taste buds to bland proteins and steamed vegetables when you can enjoy dishes like beef chili, fajitas, and sweet potato hash.

Beef Fact Friday: Debunking Labels

Fed up with all the labels on beef? Grain finished, grass finished, all-natural, organic…What does it all mean?!

We understand the frustration, but we are here to help! If you ever have questions about the differences in beef labeling, contact us or visit FactsAboutBeef.com. We want to make sure you're not only eating beef, but you're comfortable serving it to your family, no matter what the label says! Check out this #BeefFactFriday infographic to help break down the facts about labels on beef.

Movie Monday: Pasture to Plate

Ever wondered how beef goes from pasture to plate? This week's #MovieMonday provides a quick overview of how that steak landed on your plate. With so many middlemen, each segment of the beef process is just part of a well-oiled machine. Check it out:

(Video from Facts About Beef)

(Step 1)
Cow-Calf Operation: A method of raising beef cattle in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer or rancher to produce calves for later sale.

(Step 2)
Livestock Auction Market: Usually when the calves reach six to 12 months of age, they are taken to a livestock auction where they are sold. With today's modernization of the beef industry, livestock auction markets are not only in sale barns, but virtually through the television and Internet.

(Step 3)
Feedyard: Once the cattle are bought in the livestock auction market, they are usually hauled to a feedyard (or feedlot) where they stay for four to six months and are a fed large portions of a scientifically-balanced diet aimed at increasing carcass weight.

(Step 4)
Packing Plant/Harvesting Facility: From the feedyard, cattle who have reached optimal weight are taken to a packing plant (or harvesting facility). There they are harvested and processed, and meat products are distributed to retailers and the restaurant sector. Harvesting happens in the most humane way possible and every step of meat processing is heavily monitored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure animal welfare and food safety standards are met.

From there, beef is enjoyed by you and your family. Years of hard work, manual labor and a lot of economics go into the beef cattle life cycle, so the next time you sit down to enjoy a steak or hamburger, keep in mind that it didn't just come from the grocery store!

As always- Eat More Beef.