If you want to pack on hard muscle mass, you should consider beef among your protein sources as it is the number one mass-building food. Beef is high in quality protein which is a MUST if you want to build thick dense muscles. Beef also contains zinc, iron, creatine, magnesium and b-vitamins amongst others. You should try to get the leanest cuts as far as possible as they are lower in fat. Also the method of cooking your beef is important. You have to stay away from deep frying the beef in oil but stir frying lightly is ok. But the best cooking alternatives are grilling, boiling, baked, roasted and steamed. Barbecue is also an option but should be limited since eating too much barbecue isn't good for health as it can become cancerous. Cooking meat in high heat creates carcinogens in the meat. An advice when you are eating barbecue beef is to eat lots of vegetables as well and this will lessen the cancer risk.

In this article, I am going to give you some tips about the different cuts of beef, their nutritional value and calorie content. Note that beef does not have any carbohydrates and fibers.

All the cuts are based on a portion of about 80-90 grams.

(1) Flank

This meat is muscular, lean and has a good flavor. Usually, flank is used as steak. Medium-rare cooking is generally the best. If cooked too thoroughly, this meat will become too dry and hard. The flank is before the rear legs. Flank meat has about 22 grams of protein, 190 calories and 10 grams of fat.

(2) Chuck

This meat is tough since it's the part which has been exercised. The chuck is near the neck. Chuck meat has about 23 grams of protein, 280 calories and 20 grams of fat.

(3) Sirloin

The sirloin is a bit at the upper of the rear legs. It's a tender meat and is generally sauteed, grilled, fried and broiled. Marinating the sirloin is recommended before cooking. Sirloin meat has about 24 grams of protein, 220 calories and 12 grams of fat.

(4) Round

The round is one of the most popular cut of meats due to its leanness but the tenderness can vary. The round is located a bit near the middle of the rear legs. Round meat has about 26 grams of protein, 185 calories and 8 grams of fat.

(5) Ribs

The ribs are tasty and tender and can be cooked in several ways like grilling, broiling, sauteed, frying and roasting. The ribs are before the front legs in the upper part. The ribs have about 19 grams of protein, 305 calories and 24 grams of fat.

(6) Short Loin

The short loin is before the sirloin. This cut of meat is very tender and doesn't need to be cooked for too long. Can be fried, sauteed, grilled and broiled. The short loin has about 20 grams of protein, 263 calories and 20 grams of fat.

(7) Brisket

Brisket is usually used for corned beef and requires much chewing. It's also tough to cut and is usually cooked with damp heat. The brisket is situated around the upper part of the front legs. The beef brisket has about 20 grams of protein, 310 calories and 24 grams of fat.

So what's the best cut of meat? Well most of the cuts are good but the round is the preferred choice since it's the highest in protein and the least in fat. It's recommended to eat beef in moderation.

About the author

Jean Lam is the webmaster of Body Building Resource which provides articles on weight training, nutrition and fitness, body building book and DVDs.