GOP: Drop fresh fruit, veggie rules for school lunches

[kwassa]

45. Lean ground beef still has lots of fat. Not so healthy.

According to the USDA, four ounces of lean ground beef (90 percent lean, 10 percent fat) is worth 199 calories, with 11g of fat. Given that there are nine calories in each gram of fat, 99 of those calories, or 49.7 percent of them, come from fat.

Similarly, four ounces of extra-lean ground beef (95 percent lean, 5 percent fat) is worth 155 calories, with 5.6 g of fat, or 33.3 percent of its total calories.

But to put this into some perspective, four ounces of ground chuck (which is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat), most commonly used in burgers, chili, and meatballs, contains 287 calories and 22.6 g fat, which comprises 71 percent of its calories.

The question is, does this matter? The total number of calories in that four-ounce serving isn’t all that bad, especially if you eat about 2,000 calories a day. Although there is no set recommended dietary allowance for fat*, it represents about 30 percent of suggested intake for those on a 2,000 calorie a day diet. But put that four ounces of chuck in a bun with cheese, bacon and some kind of mayo dressing, then throw in some fries, and those calories, along with the fat count, will soon add up, tipping you over 1,000 calories for just one meal.

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/a/leanbeef.htm

Edit to add:

The protein content in a serving of extra lean ground beef is its nutritional highlight at 21 grams per serving. Based on a 50-gram DRI, that is 43 percent of your consumption. Your body uses protein as its primary fuel to repair muscles and tissue. If you are below your protein DRI and you have not eaten more than two servings of red meat for the week, lean ground beef is a solid choice. Fats help your body process vitamins, but too much leads to health problems. The fat content of a serving of ground beef is 4 grams, 2 grams of which are saturated. This is 9 percent of a 44-gram DRI for fat and 15 percent of a 14-gram limit for saturated fat. In addition to the fat, you consume 53 milligrams of cholesterol, or 18 percent of an average daily limit, with each serving. High blood cholesterol levels are a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease, stroke and other health issues.

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-95-percent-extra-lean-ground-beef-1377.html