Ground beef is one of the most common staple food items in any and every household. It is so incredibly easy to make and is versatile in a variety of dishes. When cooked right, ground beef can offer a subtle rich and juicy taste while also easily absorbing whichever seasonings you choose to add to it. When it comes to ground beef, the taste and its versatility are well known, yet its nutrition and caloric content may be less understood. Let’s dive a bit further into ground beef and what you need to know of its nutritional content.
Ground Beef & Fat Content
When understanding how much calories are in ground beef, it is first important to understand that caloric content of ground beef can vary, especially depending on which type of ground beef you buy. For instance, you may often see ground beef labeled as 70/30, 80/20, and even 90/10. These ratios refer to the ratio of fat contained within the ground beef. A 70/30 ratio yields a fat percentage of 30% and is the highest fat percentage a package of ground beef can be legally sold at. 80/20 refers to 80% fat and 20% lean, while a 90/10 ratio means that the ground beef will be even more lean and less fatty. Keep in mind that the fattier a package of ground beef is, the higher its caloric content will be. So, depending on if you are trying to add more calories to your diet or reduce your caloric content, you may want to take the fat ratio into consideration. Furthermore, a higher fat ratio can yield ground beef that is richer and more flavorful in taste while also being able to hold shape a lot better than leaner types of ground beef. This makes fattier types of ground beef a better option for homemade burgers, meatballs, etc.
Nutritional Content of Different Types of Ground Beef
If you choose ground beef that is labeled at 70/30, then keep in mind that the caloric content can yield around 1500 calories for every 1 pound of ground beef. It also typically yields approximately 136 grams of total fat, 354 mg of cholesterol, and 7 mg of iron.
If you choose to purchase ground beef at a ratio of 80/20, then you can expect the calories to be around 1,000 for 1 pound. Furthermore, you can expect this type of ground beef to yield about 72 grams of total fat, 322 mg of cholesterol, and 8 mg of iron. By comparing this to the 70/30 ground beef, it appears that 80/20 yields a lower fat, calorie, and cholesterol percentage while being slightly higher in protein.
Lastly, a super lean ground beef at a ratio of 90/10 will yield the lowest calories at 798 calories per 1 pound. The total fat is typically around 45 grams, while cholesterol falls around 295 mg, and iron at 10 mg. This means that lean ground beef around this ratio will yield the lowest calorie amount as well as the lowest cholesterol amount while yielding a higher amount of protein. It appears that as fat percentages increase, then cholesterol and calories will increase, while protein decreases and vice versa. Keep in mind that these are estimates. It is best advised to check the nutritional label of whichever brand of ground beef you are considering, as that will have the most accurate nutritional information for me. Yet, in other words, if you are looking for high calories in your diet then choose ground beef with a higher fat percentage. If you are looking to reduce your caloric intake, then choose leaner ground beef instead! Regardless of the ratio you pick, you are guaranteed to find a ground beef that meets your needs for whichever dish you plan to create!
