Saturday after the game my team went out in Calgary to celebrate my birthday. It was then that I had one of those carnivorous cravings!
Before we had even sat down, I knew what I wanted. Steak sandwich, medium rare.
The chef delivered me a steak that was delightful, grilled to perfection. But just not as good as a home raised steak!
Sunday brought more lacrosse. The team traveled to Sherwood park for a game. It was an early game being Father's Day, and after the game my family headed to my Opa and Oma's house for a quick visit with my dad's side of the family. After this, my mom's side of the family came over to have supper and some birthday cake.
Once again there were some carnivorous cravings and the family enjoyed some homegrown beef.
This weekend I got a pretty awesome birthday surprise! If you have been keeping up with my blog you will know that all I wanted for my birthday was a kitten!
Well...
Super sweet, super crazy, ad super wild. Oliver sleeps with his mouth open, and Otis suckles on his own fur to comfort himself when he goes to sleep. Not your ordinary carnivore kittens!
But back to the main point!
Alberta Beef on your plate is probably one of the best ways to solve any carnivorous cravings that you might have.
McDonalds, Quiznos, and Jack Astors restaurants would also agree.All three of these restaurants support the Canadian Beef Brand.
From November 2009 to January 2010, Quiznos ran a feature sandwich called the Triple Cheese and Roast beef. If you had ever tried it, it was awesome. What made it even better was that the Beef Information Center (BIC) made sure that the meat was 100% Canadian Beef. This sandwich was sold in 456 places across Canada, what better a way to ensure that Canadian's are getting the best beef possible.
McDonalds is one of the largest supporters of Canadian Beef. Throughout Canada, McDonald's serves approximately 2.5 million customers every day. This means that they are using more than 64 ,million pounds of locally raised, Canadian Beef, every year. McDonald's Canada uses 100% Canadian beef for all of the burger offerings (BIC).
For more information on McDonald's supporting Canadian Beef check out these facts:
http://www.canadianbeef.info/ca/en/fs/mcdonalds/
McDonald's
And it doesn't stop there. The Canadian Beef brand has 110 industry partners, and 56 brand license agreements with retail, foodservice and processing operations. Some of these partners include: XL Fine Foods; Costco Canada; Canada Safeway; McDonald's; Boston Pizza; Panago Pizza; Sobeys in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes; abc Family Restaurants and T&T Supermarkets. These are all big supporters of Canadian Beef. I know for sure which stores I will be supporting!
Canadian beef is packed with 14 essential nutrients. It is yummy and good for you!
- Protein - used to fight infection, build muscles, growth
- Phosphorous - builds and maintains strong bones and teeth
- Zinc - helps build the immune system
- Iron- brain devbelopment in babies and children. Iron in beef is absorbed more readily than from plant sources
- Pantothenate - helps energize the body
- Thiamin - helps with appetite and normal growth! Energy!
- Vitamin B6 - assists protein building and immune system
- Vitamin B12 - helps all the cells in muscle, brain and nervous system. Found naturally only in animal foods!
- Niacin - essential for nervous system and energy
- Magnesium - contributes to health of bones and teeth
- Vitamin D - maximizes calcium and phospohrus absorption. Found in Canadian beef is more potent than in plant sources
- Potassium - maintain healthy blood pressure, prevents bones from losing calcium
- Riboflavin - helps energize body
- Selenium- anti-oxidant
Many of you have probably heard of the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check Program. What you likely didn't know is that there are eight cuts of Canadian Beef that qualify for this program! That's right! Eight different ways that you can surrender to your carnivorous cravings, while still staying in the Health Check Program!
| Lean Beef Choices (100 grams raw meat) | Fat (grams) |
|---|---|
| Eye of Round | 5 |
| Inside Round | 5 |
| Sirloin Tip | 5 |
| Top Sirloin | 6 |
| Strip Loin | 8 |
| Flank | 8 |
| Cross Rib | 9 |
| Outside Round | 9 |
| Extra Lean Ground Sirloin or Round | 10 |
| Extra Lean Ground Beef | 10 |
| Lean Ground Sirloin, Round or Chuck | 15 |
| Lean Ground Beef | 15 |
www.beefinfo.org
The Canadian Beef Information Center offers a really cool way to see just what the nutritional value of
Virtual Beef Counter
Of course, these values will vary depending on how well the meat is cooked, and how much of the fat is trimmed, as well, it will vary from animal to animal, but this gives you a pretty accurate average!
Canadian Beef Merchandising Guide - This has everything you need to know on cuts of beef!
How does lean beef compare??
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| To chicken |
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| To Fish |
Fact: When you see something say "lean only" it means that the beef has been trimmed of any visible fat and only includes marbling and muscle tissue.
Fact: The nutritional value of Canadian Beef and American Beef differ due to the differences in production!
Fact: Ground Beef that is drained and rinsed after it is cooked with hot water, will have reduced fat content!
Fact: One of the main saturated fats in lean Canadian beef is Stearic acid. An issue with saturated fats is that they often have an affect on cholesterol levels. Not Stearic acid, it has little effect!
Fact: Grass fed beef and grain fed beef both contain 14 essential nutrients. Studies have shown that grass fed beef has elevated levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, but it is undetermined whether these increased levels are high enough for health benefits! Therefore, all beef is good beef!
Fact: Beef is made mainly of water and protein. Of course there are smaller amounts of fat, vitamins and minerals. The proteins are the main nutrient in beef! Proteins help us fight infections, grow, and build muscles. Proteins = muscles, muscles = strength. Muscles and strength attract the babes! Who doesn't want to eat Canadian Beef!
Fact: Beef is graded Prime (best), AAA, AA and A. The higher the grade, the more marbling in the meat. It is the marbling that gives the flavor to the beef, makes it the most tender and juicy! The majority of Canada's beef is AAA.
Fact: Beef is aged by processors for 3 to 21 days at a controlled temp and humidity. This allows the fibres to relax, making our meat more tender with stronger flavor!
Fact: The color of the meat is not a good way to indicate freshness. A change in color could be due to anything from a stressed calf to a difference in packaging
So. Now that you know just how fantastic Canadian beef is, I'm sure you're having some carnivorous cravings. So what will you cook for diner??
Check out these recipes!
Beef It's What's For Dinner
Beef Info Recipes
Whooohooo!
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower of yours and i like it! gonna come back though and check everything out a little more carefully tonight!
Thanks so much i think you have a great job!
Leontien
www.fourleafcloverdairy.blogspot.com
Great! I am glad you like it! Thanks so much for the comment! If there is ever anything you think I should write about, I look forward to the input. Thanks again for the great comment!
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