While most Americans have gotten the word that fat needs to be limited to 30 percent of calories, consumers have interpreted this advice to mean that no fat must be better. Studies show that for 60 percent of surveyed adults, fat content is a consumer's greatest nutritional concern, up from 16 percent in 1987. And a 1996 Food Marketing Institute Shopping for Health Study shows that 75 percent of adults believe a diet should contain little or no fat. The fact is, fat is an essential nutrient for daily bodily functions. The beef sold today has 21 percent less trimmable fat than in the 1980s, and more than 40 percent of all beef cuts have no external fat.
Many cuts of beef compare favorably with poultry.
In fact, seven cuts of beef fall between the skinless chicken breast and thigh in terms of fat content. The Meat Group is the only Food Guide Pyramid group that Americans eat in appropriate amounts. Actual consumption of foods from the Meat Group falls within or just below the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations of 2 to 3 servings, totaling 5 to 7 ounces per day of meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and nuts. Data shows that beef contributes less than 8.4 grams of fat to the diet per day. Of that, less than 3.3 grams are saturated fat.