Is Carne Asada Healthy? Healthy Facts About Carne Asada

is carne asada healthy

Meat recipes are delectable, and many people love them. Although they’re appetizing, these foods can be healthy or unhealthy. For those who consider their health as the top priority, being careful with the type of food they eat becomes one of their necessities to remain healthy at all times. Hence, it’s safe to say that differentiating between healthy beef and an unhealthy one is key to having a healthy balanced diet.

Going back to meat recipes, Carne Asada is one of the most popular lean beef foods. Many questions revolve around this food as many people have doubts about it. However, the most common question you will find answers to in this article is, “Is Carne Asada healthy?”

Is Carne Asada Healthy?

Carne Asada is healthy as it contains low calories. However, when you consume too much, it is harmful. Carne Asada is a type of beef food made from lean meat. An additional ingredient in making Carne Asada is Soy Vinegar to make it tender. To finish up the recipe, you add a few vegetables and sauce. 

Carne Asada also contains high amounts of oil marinade, which is not good if you consume it in high amounts.

How Many Calories Does it Contain?

Carne Asada contains a moderate number of calories, considering it came from lean meat. Here are the figures.

  • Fiber – 2g
  • Net Carbs – 20g
  • Fats – 7g
  • Protein – 11g

Carne Asada contains a total of 180 calories per serving.

What are the Benefits of It?

Carne Asada has several benefits upon consumption, as discussed below.

  1. High and good proteins 56% for DV/100g
  2. It is rich in minerals and vitamins that account for 14.9%/cal. Hence, it is an excellent source of Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, and Iron.
  3. Moderate calories. As a result, for each, once you get moderate amounts of calories of just 0.07 cal/oz.
  4. The number of dangerous components in Carne Asada is very few. These are components such as sugars, fat, sodium, and cholesterol.

What is the Best Meat Cut for Carne Asada?

Many people have to get the proper steak to get the right meat recipe. It is because a good steak makes great and tender beef easily. In addition, a good steak is also easy to cook and has low amounts of fat.

To get the best cut of Carne Asada, always go for flank steak. This part will provide you with high quality lean meat.

Note that flank steak will be tough to cut due to is less fat. Another option to go for is flap meat (bottom sirloin). Flap meat has more fat content than flank steak and is also a good choice.

Here is How to Make Carne Asada

Carne Asada is a recipe of Mexican origin. However, it is possible to make it on your own from your home. You have to buy the right ingredients and follow the recipe carefully.

The first thing you start with is shopping for the right ingredients. They include the following.

  • Jalapeno
  • Pepper
  • Limes
  • Garlic cloves
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Olive oil
  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Flank steak (2 pounds)

Steps to Making Carne Asada

Step 1

Making Carne Asada starts by making a sauce and marinating Carne Asada to get the right flavor and make the meat tender. Marinating will also enable absorption of all other ingredients.

Start by blending pepper, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro until you get a smooth mixture. Put the blended marinade into a gallon bag.

Then add your steak into the bag and seal it. Next, leave the marinade in the bag in a fridge and let it stay for between 2 and 8 hours.

Note that the best to marinate Carne Asada is for a period of between 2 and 4 hours. Always make sure you do not marinate for over 8hours. Past 8 hours makes vinegar and lime juice break the meat down hence poor texture and structure.

If you want to marinate Carne Asada for more than 8 hours, ensure you use dry ingredients.

Step 2

Preheat the grill to high heat to get it ready to cook.

Step 3

Remove your steak in the bag with marinade. Dispose of the marinade properly. Use Olive Oil spray to spray the marinated steak lightly.

Step 4

Slowly grill your marinated steak for between 7 and 10 minutes. Ensure you cook each side until you have your preferred doneness.

Step 5

It would be best to let your grilled steak rest for around 10 minutes for this step. After this, you can slice it and serve it.

How Do You Serve Carne Asada?

You can serve Carne Asada with onions, cooked peppers, or pico de gallo salsa. Some people will also prefer to serve Carne Asada with a mixture of beans and corn in a bowl.

Other Ways to Enjoy Carne Asada

The following are excellent ideas and ways to make your Carne Asada even more enjoyable.

  1. Make Nachos – to make this, top some corn chips with cheese, black beans, chopped bell red onions and bell peppers, and carne asada, then broil the mixture for between 1 and 2 minutes. Also, top with tomatoes, avocado, and olives.
  2. Carne Asada Tacos – For the tacos lovers, you can easily use carne asada to make tacos. Just follow the normal process of making tacos, and you will enjoy it.
  3. Carne Asada with grilled cheese – Start by chopping carne asada. Next, add your preferred grilled cheese and top with some hot sauce or salsa.
  4. Carne Asada plus Summer Pasta – Serve carne asada with your best pasta salad as a side dish.
  5. Carne Asada plus Taco Salad – This is easy as all you have to do is create a cube of carne asada and add it to your Mexican taco salad.

Is Carne Asada Good for Weight Loss?

No. Carne Asada is not meant for weight loss. Although lean meat is a good source of protein and contains low calories, Carne Asada does not help with weight loss. 

It is because it is not 100% lean meat. In some cases, the food may not come from lean meat. Additionally, Carne Asada contains high amounts of oils from the marinade.

How Often Should I Eat Carne Asada?

Carne Asada is like all other meat recipes. You have to make sure you do not eat too much of it to avoid the adverse effects of high amounts of oils. The food contains a high amount of oil because of the marinating process, which you should be careful of, especially if you’re conscious about your health.

Ensure that you watch the amounts of Carne Asada you take at once, as each serving contains 180 calories.

For someone watching their weight and trying to lose it, you should not consume more than once per week. However, this can change depending on your body’s reaction and what you want to achieve.

Conclusion

Carne Asada is one of the most popular Mexican beef recipes. Many people like Carne Asada as it can be served and consumed in many ways and with several additions.

Carne Asada does not also take too long to prepare, making it a good option for many people, even those not professional chefs. When you consume this food in excess amounts, it can be harmful to your body, due to high amounts of oils.

Although Carne Asada is healthy, it’s essential to consume this food in moderation. The same goes with other food, especially if you’re cooking meals—make it a priority to improve your eating habits along with your other health practices. Are you struggling to make good decisions? Are you a tired, overwhelmed, or stressed woman who’s beginning to experience negative health issues such as digestive problems, chronic inflammation, aging prematurely, and weight gain? After consistently putting in long hours and juggling too many priorities, are you desperate to make a change?

It’s easy to neglect personal wellness in exchange for what feels good and that never-ending to-do list. The thought of adding one more thing to your list – wellness – may even tip the scale. Take the guesswork out of the individual steps needed to find balance and optimal health and let the Green Balanced Gal Wellness Program lead the way. You are unique, your food and lifestyle choices should be too, and thankfully, the Green Balanced Gal approach to wellness is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Get started today with the coaching support you need to feel your very best – mind, body, and soul!

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About Amy

I'm an Integrative Health Coach for career-oriented, busy women in search of finding balance, wellness, and lifestyle transformation in an overworked, stressful, and boundary-blurring world.

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