The new beef label – what do the numbers mean?

The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid encourage people to get more nutrition from their calories by choosing nutrient-rich foods. Nutrients put more power on our plates to fuel active healthy lifestyles. At a time when we’re increasingly watching our waistlines, nutrients make each calorie count more.

At GIANT, we’re proud to be one of the first retailers in the country to help customers find nutrient-rich foods by implementing on-pack nutritional labeling on all proteins in the meat case. On each meat package, you’ll now find a nutrition label that resembles the labels you recognize from other grocery items in the store. In addition to learning the calories and fat content, you’ll also learn about other important nutrients in beef and their role in a healthy body. Package nutrition labels may include the following nutrition information:

Beef: a good source of Zinc, Iron, Protein & many B-vitamins

• Zinc helps maintain a healthy immune system
  
• Iron is important to your children’s mental development
  
• Protein acts as a building block for muscles
  
• Many B-vitamins help turn your food into energy

Beef is the premier high-quality protein, helping people get more nutrition from their calories, without sacrificing taste. Did you know that...

• Beef is a nutrient powerhouse. A 3-ounce serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2,000-calorie daily diet, yet it’s an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus; and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin.
  
• 29 beef cuts meet government guidelines for “lean” with less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3½ -ounce serving.
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• The 29 cuts include some of Americans’ traditional favorites like flank steak, tenderloin, 95 percent lean ground beef and T-bone steak, as well as newer cuts of beef, such as the Western Griller steak and Ranch steak.
  
• All 29 lean cuts of beef have less than 175 calories per 3-ounce serving.
  
• Nearly sixty-five percent (65%) of all whole muscle cuts sold at retail and 15 of the top 20 most popular retail whole muscle cuts are “lean.”

To learn more about beef’s nutrition profile or to find delicious lean beef recipes,
visit www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

Information Courtesy of The Beef Checkoff