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October 2007 Newsletter

 

Nutrient-Rich Solutions with Beef


Obesity Increasing
You’ve probably seen the news reports about the obesity problem in the United States.  The statistics are staggering -- more than 93 million Americans are obese, with that number predicted to climb to 120 million in the next five years. What the statistics often overlook, however, is that most overweight individuals are also undernourished because they eat high-calorie foods that are low in nutrient value.
 
In March 2004, the Food and Drug Administration’s Obesity Working Group brought focus to this epidemic by telling Americans that “calories count.” They said most people need to monitor and reduce their caloric intake.  One way to do this, according to many leading dietitians, is to choose nutrient-rich foods like lean beef.  These dietitians refer to foods with a higher ratio of nutrients to calories as nutrient dense or nutrient rich.  

Why is lean beef a smart choice?    
Lean beef not only fuels active lifestyles with its nutrients, it also helps fight weight gain simply because it has few calories per 3-ounce serving.  It’s an ideal example of how a nutrient-rich food helps people make better choices in their daily meals.

Dietitians recognize beef as: 
• An excellent source of protein, zinc, 
   vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus
• A good source of niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin
• Having low caloric content as beef supplies less than 10 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet while contributing more than 10 percent of the above nutrients

So how do you set your household on its way to eating nutrient rich? A good meal plan might include a great-tasting, lean beef steak from Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Meats combined with these other nutrient-rich foods:
• Brightly colored fruits 
• Vibrant colored vegetables
• Whole, fortified and fiber-rich grain foods
• Low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt

For more information on choosing nutrient-rich foods, visit www.nutrientrichfoods.org or www.MyPyramid.gov.

Supporting our Community

At Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Meats we’re committed to providing our customers with a lean, healthy and great-tasting meal every time.  But our dedication to healthy living doesn’t stop at the supermarket.  We’re also committed to raising community awareness about healthy lifestyle choices.  That’s why we’re a proud supporter of many area events that promote health and wellness. This fall we supported several events in Dallas: 

• Sept. 15:  Heart Walk
• Sept. 28-Oct. 21:  Various nutrition activities at The State Fair of Texas
• Oct. 13:  Walk to D’Feet ALS

Look for us at more of these events in the year ahead.

Tips for Quick Beef Shopping

Our customers like variety when buying our ground beef.  We have a big selection because we strive to satisfy our customers’ every request. But making the right choice when there are several choices can take time.  So here’s a primer on how to select the right ground beef package in just a few seconds.

Let’s start with some basic facts.  Ground beef by definition must contain at least 70 percent lean and no more than 30 percent fat.  The information on the label will express the lean percentage first and the fat percentage second.  So the best plan is to go to the store knowing what ratio of lean to fat you want to serve.  For instance, if you want lean ground beef, choose a package where the first number is 91 to 96 percent.  

Second, see if the label states the cut of beef from which the package was ground.  Chuck, round or sirloin are typical cuts used to make ground beef and all three have great flavor.  Knowing which one you want to buy helps reduce the selection time. Finally, have a recipe in mind and make its preparation method your final selection criteria.    

• If it’s a recipe for stuffed peppers or some casseroles that asks you to mix raw ground beef with other ingredients before cooking, choose a higher percentage lean ground beef. 

• If the recipe requires you to brown and drain ground beef, any lean percentage will work.  

• If you need a higher fat content ground beef, go ahead and buy one with a smaller lean figure.  You can always reduce the fat content yourself after it’s cooked by using a slotted spoon to transfer the crumbles to paper towels, blotting the meat with more paper towels, then placing the meat in a colander or strainer.  Pour hot (but not boiling) water over the beef to rinse the fat and then proceed with the recipe.

• For a chili recipe, choose a ground beef that is labeled chili grind.  That means the meat is ground a little more coarsely than regular ground beef.  The larger pieces of a coarse grind provide the lean component of ground beef with more surface, which in turn allows it to withstand the longer cooking times required by chili recipes.

So now that you know what to look for, here’s what Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Meats offers to make your ground beef selection fast and flawless:

Kroger Southwest (Dallas and Houston, Texas)
96% Lean Ground Round Beef in 1 lb. package
90% Gourmet Ground Beef in 1 lb. package
90% Ground Beef for Chili in 1 lb. package
85% Ground Chuck Patties in 6 1/3-pound patties per package (1.33 lbs per package)

Fry’s (Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona)
96% Lean Ground Round Beef in 1 lb. package
85% Ground Chuck Patties in 6 1/3-pound patties per package (1.33 lbs per package)

Super S (South and central Texas)
80% Lean Ground Beef in packages and in patties.

Did You Know…

Ground beef and hamburger are not interchangeable terms in the supermarket? To create ground beef, the meat market manager grinds a certain cut but can add no fat.  When making hamburger, however, the manager may add other fat to achieve a certain lean-to-fat ratio.  Both hamburger and ground beef can have seasonings, but other additives, including water and phosphates, are not permitted.  The Federal Standards and Labeling Policy mandates proper labeling of hamburger and ground beef and they must be marked with a USDA inspection symbol.  Federal labeling laws on lean versus fat also apply to both products. 

Congratulations to Joe Leal

Join us in congratulating Joe Leal of Super S Foods in Goliad for winning our merchandising contest. Joe is the meat market manager at the store and was judged tops in the Super S chain for allowing customers to easily locate Nolan Ryan products, making sure labels were always visible, displaying appealing packaging, and keeping the meat case stocked with your favorite Nolan Ryan products. Joe is a perfect example of how our retail partners work with us to make sure your shopping experience is the best it can be. 

For winning, Joe and three members of his family received an all-expenses paid weekend trip to Corpus Christi. Nolan Ryan hosted them at Whataburger Field for a Corpus Christi Hooks minor league game.  hey also toured the Texas State Aquarium and the USS Lexington.  Way to go, Joe!