Today one of my colleagues, Alice Henneman, hosted a webinar on how to use PicMonkey (which is free – unless you upgrade). It was so fun and there is a lot you can do with it! I encourage you to check it out if you are not yet familiar with it. While Alice was presenting she encouraged us to play with all of the features. So I created a collage of various pictures…

Two obvious themes made themselves apparent.

The first, I like food and I like to cook various types of food, in this collage there is a BLT, a honey baked pork chop, a salmon sandwich, Greek-style beef and cheese ravioli, flat iron steaks, and lengua (tongue tacos) (I ate these at a restaurant, but need to make them at home). I also need to post recipes of the ones not linked to a previous blog post (on my to-do list)!

The second thing, I have a serious love affair with meat! Now I certainly don’t eat meat at every meal, but I do enjoy it daily! I also enjoy meat from all food production animals, and enjoy cooking and preparing it in new ways.

It seems that we constantly hear about different research studies saying meat should be a part of a healthy diet, it shouldn’t be a part of our diet, we should only eat certain meat protein from certain animals, we should not have smoked or processed meats…it becomes overwhelming! As my colleagues in the food, nutrition, and health areas say – everything in moderation!

Today I want to share some resources with you on the benefits of beef in the diet. Yes I am fully aware that some persons choose not (or cannot) to include meat in their diet and that there are other sources of protein and nutrients. Regardless, this is useful and interesting information to be aware of.

Protein provides satiety (feeling full); a diet with moderate protein or meat consumption helps us feel fuller longer, which can curb hunger and the desire to eat!

Beef is important for pregnant women! Check out this blog post to get information about the benefits of beef during pregnancy.

There are 29 cuts of beef that are as lean as a boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh!

Beef is a nutrient dense food. One 3-ounce serving size is packed full of  the things our bodies need to grow, repair, heal, function, and more. See how beef stacks up in several nutrients compared to other meat proteins or leafy greens.

Meat is an important part of my diet? What is an important part of yours?