The Culinary Institute of America Presents ProChef.com

Beef has led restaurant servings for more than a decade and the momentum continues, with 11.3 billion beef servings in commercial restaurants in 2001. Steak sandwiches are a trend to watch, with servings up almost 42 percent between 2000 and 2001. But burgers still lead the pack, with 8.2 billion served in 2001. That's a lot of buns.

With beef perennially popular, you should know some nutritional facts:

FACT: Beef supplies complete protein-all nine essential amino acids. No plant protein does this.

FACT: Beef is an excellent source of iron, the nutrient most often lacking in the diets of women, young children and athletes.

FACT: Nearly half the fat in beef is monounsaturated, the same heart-healthy kind found in olive oil.

FACT: Beef contains significant amounts of B-vitamins, including vitamin B12, found only in animal foods.

FACT: Studies show that lean red meat can be interchangeable with white meat in a cholesterol-lowering diet.

FACT: Beef can easily be part of a balanced diet that does not exceed recommended limits for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

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