Is Steak Healthy?
Nutrition & FitnessDiet & Nutrition

Is Steak Good for You?

Is Steak Good for You?
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Updated on February 27, 2026
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The occasional steak can feel like a celebration, and it does have some nutritional perks, like protein, iron, and B vitamins. However, red meat is high in saturated fat, and when it comes to your health, the impact of red meat on your diet depends on the quality and how much you eat.

How Much Red Meat Should You Eat?

The American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake of saturated fat to less than 6 percent of your daily calories. For example, if you need 2,000 calories per day, no more than 120 calories, or 13 grams (g), should come from saturated fat.

There's no recommended amount of red meat you should eat. Instead, the amount you can consume depends on individual factors, like your risk for cardiovascular disease and other sources of saturated fat in your diet.

If you have high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease, limiting the amount of red meat you eat and varying your protein sources can help reduce your risks.

Health Benefits of Steak

Beef is a rich source of protein along with vitamins and other micronutrients, including vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium. It is also a complete protein, meaning it provides adequate amounts of all nine essential amino acids, which your body can't make on its own.

Leaner cuts of beef are a good source of unsaturated fat, which is considered healthier and can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

A 3-ounce (oz) serving of broiled top sirloin steak with the fat trimmed contains the following:

  • Calories 186
  • Protein 24.6g
  • Fat 9g (3.48g saturated fat)
  • Carbohydrates 0
  • Vitamin B12 1.6 micrograms (mcg)
  • Zinc 4.4 milligrams (mg)
  • Selenium 26.8mcg
  • Niacin 6.7mg
  • Iron 1.7mg

Potential Risks of Eating Steak

Beef and other types of red meat are high in saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

 However, when it comes to steak, the cut and how much you eat both contribute to the amount of saturated fat you get. Choosing leaner cuts like choice or select tenderloin, flank, or sirloin, and eating steak in moderation, can help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet.

Cooking meat at high temperatures, such as grilling or frying, can create carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These substances have been shown to increase your risk of cancer. Cooking steak at lower temperatures and marinating with herbs and spices before cooking can help reduce the formation of these substances.

Healthy Tips for Eating Steak

Knowing how to select steaks at the store and how to prepare and cook them can help you maximize nutrition while minimizing potential health risks.

How to Buy the Healthiest Steak

If you tend to get overwhelmed every time you head to the meat counter at your grocery store, you’re not alone. Try these tips to get the most bang for your buck when buying steak:

  • Choose leaner cuts. Look for cuts of beef labeled lean or extra lean, such as tenderloin, flank, sirloin, round, and ball tip. Lean cuts contain less than 4.5 g of saturated fat and less than 10 g of total fat in 3.5 oz. Extra lean cuts contain less than 2 g of saturated fat and less than 5 g of total fat in 3.5 oz.
  • Pay attention to the grade. Beef grades include prime, choice, and select. Grade describes the quality of beef, such as tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Prime typically contains the most fat, followed by choice, then select.
  • Go with grass-fed. Conventionally raised cows are fed on grains, usually corn. Studies show that meat from pasture-raised cattle that graze on grass has less total fat and more healthy fats, like omega-3 and omega-6, compared with meat from grain-fed cattle.

The Healthiest Way to Prepare and Cook Steak

  • Avoid high heat. Cooking meat at high temperatures can create carcinogenic compounds that increase your risk of cancer. To reduce your risk, cook steak over lower heat to minimize burning and charring, or try other methods like boiling or sous vide.

  • Marinate. Marinating your steak with herbs and spices before cooking can help reduce cancer-causing compounds. Research has shown that antioxidants and other naturally occurring compounds in plants can inhibit the formation of carcinogens.

  • Cook to a safe temperature. Cooking meat to the proper internal temperature is important to eliminate potential disease-causing pathogens. While most meat can safely be served rare, medium rare, or well done, steak that is not fully cooked can increase your risk of food-borne illness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking beef to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F and allowing it to rest for at least three minutes.

How to Include Steak as Part of a Healthy Diet

  • Pay attention to portions. Managing your steak portion size can help you avoid too much saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends aiming for 3 oz of cooked meat per serving, which is a piece about the size of a deck of cards.

  • Choose healthy toppings and sides. Toppings like steak sauce and garlic butter can add sodium, sugar, and saturated fat to your steak. For example, 1 tablespoon of steak sauce can contain about 2 g of sugar and almost 300 mg of sodium (12 percent of the daily recommended value).

     Instead, opt for a light shake of salt and freshly ground pepper, or a sauce with healthy fats, like chimichurri.

The Takeaway

  • Steak is a good source of protein and essential nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, but it can also be high in saturated fat. Too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • Choose lean cuts of beef like sirloin or flank to limit your saturated fat intake. Also look for choice and select grades along with grass-fed options, which are typically higher in healthier, unsaturated fat
  • Avoid high heat when cooking steak, which can produce carcinogenic compounds. Instead, use lower-heat methods and marinate with herbs and spices to reduce cancer-causing substances.
  • Always cook steak to a safe internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F to eliminate food-borne pathogens.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Fats in Foods. American Heart Association. January 9, 2026.
  2. Is Red Meat Bad for You? Cleveland Clinic. February 14, 2024.
  3. Mortensen EG et al. Nutrient Analysis of Raw and Cooked USDA Prime Beef Cuts. Nutrients. August 31, 2024.
  4. Beef, top sirloin, steak, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, choice, cooked, broiled. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. April 1, 2019.
  5. Cuts of Beef: A Guide to the Leanest Selections. Mayo Clinic. November 21, 2023.
  6. Practicing Safe Grilling Can Reduce Cancer Risk, Experts Say. American Institute for Cancer Research. July 6, 2021.
  7. Nogoy KMC et al. Fatty Acid Composition of Grain- and Grass-Fed Beef and Their Nutritional Value and Health Implication. Food Science of Animal Resources. January 1, 2022.
  8. Iammarino M et al. Red Meat Heating Processes, Toxic Compounds Production and Nutritional Parameters Changes: What about Risk–Benefit? Foods. January 30, 2024.
  9. Nadeem HR et al. Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Meat: Formation, Isolation, Risk Assessment, and Inhibitory Effect of Plant Extracts. Foods. June 24, 2021.
  10. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 14, 2025.
  11. Picking Healthy Proteins. American Heart Association. August 28, 2024.
  12. Steak Sauce. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. October 31, 2024.
  13. Sodium in Your Diet. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. March 5, 2024.
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Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

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Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.

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