Q: I'm sick of chicken and tuna. Do you have any other recommendations for a low fat protein source?
A: In terms of nutritional value, lean cuts of red meat more than match the more traditional bodybuilding protein foods such as chicken breasts and tuna.
For example, a 3-ounce chicken breast contains 3-grams of fat, while 3-ounces of round or eye-fillet steak contains 4.2-grams. Lean ground beef contains 5-grams of fat per 100-grams. Lean roast beef contains just 3-grams of fat per 3-ounce slice. Some of the fat contained in lean beef will actually help you lose fat and build muscle.
Cooked beef fat contains CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), a nutrient shown to enhance body composition. Lean beef also contains much more iron and other trace elements than chicken or tuna.
Lean beef is also higher in B-group vitamins, these vitamins are essential to energy production. On every occasion that I’ve recommended a bodybuilder to increase his/her red meat intake, the athlete has seen and felt the difference in their physique. So, beef up!
Dr. Paul Cribb Ph.D. CSCS.
AST Director of Research http://www.ast-ss.com/dev/qa_search/full_text.asp?ID=3484
