Lean Beef Recipes Spread Across State for Heart Month
February is American Heart Month, a call for individuals to focus on their cardiovascular health. Director of Nutrition Mitch Rippe says that by connecting the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that lean beef can be part of healthy eating patterns to improve cardiovascular health, health professionals and patients are finding that eating for a healthy heart and enjoying one of their favorite foods don’t have to be odds with one another.
“February’s Heart Month adds some spark to the winter doldrums by hosting classes and interacting with folks from across the state,” says Rippe. “With our core messaging focused on making small dietary and lifestyle changes, we also build this anticipation towards spring and all the growth it brings.”
All seventy-four active cardiac rehab facilities across Nebraska received heart health toolkits featuring 12 American Heart Association certified lean beef recipe videos from the Nebraska Beef Council to utilize with patients in their facilities. NBC is also actively conducting cooking classes and seminars with these partners to show how lean beef can be utilized in a heart healthy dietary pattern to drive increased fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption, as recommended by the health professional community.
“We’ve had great feedback from these cardiac rehab facilities,” Rippe said. “They’re excited to be providing these opportunities to their patients and the patients are excited to enjoy lean beef as part of a heart healthy diet.”
Rippe added that American Heart Month is an awareness campaign that encourages individuals to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health. In addition, February 3 is National Wear Red Day, a signature initiative designed to help end heart disease and stroke in women through education, research fundraising, and healthy lifestyle changes.
“Physical activity can suffer when the temperatures drop and the snow piles up. That’s where I encourage creative and strategic opportunities for activity—whether it’s a quick outdoor walk, shoveling snow, or an indoor circuit, finding consistency in those activities sets us up for continued success as we move toward the spring and summer months,” says Rippe. “While it sounds simple, we often fall short on eating enough fruits and veggies, I also like to encourage the 1-2-3 approach to eating all five servings of fruits and vegetables every day: one serving at breakfast, two with lunch, and three with dinner and snacks.”
This focus will carry over into March, which is recognized as National Nutrition Month, in which NBC will collaborate with registered dietitians to showcase beef’s nutritional value and versatility in the meal planning process.
For more information on lean beef recipes visit heart.org and nebeef.org
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The Nebraska Beef Council is a non-profit organization served by a nine-member board of directors. The volunteers oversee the beef checkoff in Nebraska and checkoff-funded programs. Programs for marketing and promotion are funded by the $1/head beef checkoff.
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