The month of May means Mother’s Day, graduations, Memorial Day and the Indy 500. But May is also Beef Month, perfectly coinciding with warmer weather and acceleration of outdoor grilling activity. Joe Moore at Indiana Beef says there are real health benefits when you add beef to the grill.
“Beef is an excellent source of nutrients for the amount of calories we consume when we have a piece of beef,” he said. “A 4-ounce portion of beef contains over twenty percent of 5 key nutrients that we need every day, protein, zinc, selenium, phosphorous, and vitamin B12. It’s a good source for four more, and the average 4 ounce portion is around 160-180 calories, so it’s really low in calories but high in nutritional value.”
Visit https://www.indianabeef.org/ for great summertime beef recipes.
Beef is also good for the Hoosier economy.
“According to the State Board of Animal Health there are about 25,000+ premises in Indiana that are registered with cattle on them. That includes both beef and dairy, but those animals are also beef. We know that between feed dealers and equipment dealers and producers and retailers and food service operators, Indiana beef impacts thousands of people every day.”
The total heads of Indiana cattle hovers around 900,000.
May also brings the running of the Indianapolis Mini-marathon, and this year will be a first, according to Moore, for Indiana Team Beef at the Mini.
“Indiana has joined many states in putting together a running team, and we call them Team Beef. We have put together a team of about 15 runners and there are some certain qualifications that people have to agree to, to be able to wear that Team Beef shirt. But people are very committed to nutrition, very committed to their health, and beef is a part of that.”
Moore expects 4 runners Saturday to be wearing the Team Beef shirt. Moore is Executive Vice President Indiana Beef Cattle Association-Indiana Beef Council.