Ground beef and rice is a versatile dish that combines savory minced ground beef and fluffy cooked rice, a hearty combination found in various cuisines worldwide. While seemingly simple, a diet centered around ground beef and rice has garnered attention as a short-term dietary approach for specific goals. It's crucial to understand the potential benefits and drawbacks before embarking on such a restrictive eating plan.
What is the Ground Beef Diet?
The ground beef diet is a short-term dietary approach focusing on consuming different types of ground beef. It is a limited version of the Carnivore diet, focusing solely on beef, while the Carnivore diet includes a variety of meats and animal products and is more sustainable. It is essential to recognize that a ground beef diet is not intended as a long-term eating pattern. It's a short-term strategy with specific guidelines to achieve particular objectives, such as weight loss or increased protein intake.
Nutritional Profile of Ground Beef
Ground beef is a versatile and nutrient-dense food. Its nutritional content depends on the type of meat (such as lean or fatty) and the cooking method you use. Let’s review the nutritional content of 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked, 70% lean ground beef, which is commonly available in many markets.
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Protein: 26 g
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Vitamin B12: 2.1 mcg (about 88% of the Daily Value)
- Zinc: 6.4 mg (about 58% of the Daily Value)
- Iron: 2.7 mg (about 15% of the Daily Value)
- Selenium: 19.7 mcg (about 36% of the Daily Value)
As the above numbers show, ground beef is a great source of high-quality protein, vitamins (such as B12), and minerals (such as iron and zinc). However, it's also relatively high in saturated fat and cholesterol, meaning you must eat it in moderation, especially if you have heart health concerns. You can always consult a healthcare professional to ensure it’s safe for you to try this diet. If you choose leaner varieties of ground beef, the fat content will be lower, meaning they can be healthier options. Also, the cooking method, such as grilling or baking, can influence the final fat content of the cooked meat. Always check the nutritional information on the specific ground beef product you buy to find the most accurate details.
Potential Benefits of a Ground Beef Diet
- Nutritious: Lean beef is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 as part of an overall healthy diet because it contains various nutrients and minerals.
- May improve mood and mental health: Studies show that lean beef is recommended as part of a healthy diet, and consuming red meat (beef) is not significantly linked to cancers or mortality. It can also positively impact mental health and mood.
- Boosts weight loss: A 2008 review by Hession et al. found that high-protein diets can aid weight loss. Ground beef, being a rich source of protein, may contribute to this effect.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
There are sayings that red meat is associated with cardiovascular problems, stroke, and certain cancers, yet there are not enough studies supporting these claims. However, A 2012 study on a huge number of participants found that individuals with the highest intake of unprocessed and processed red meat faced increased risks of overall mortality, cancer-related mortality, and cardiovascular mortality. After accounting for other risk factors, the researchers found that consuming an additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat during the study period increased the risk of total mortality by 13%. Similarly, an extra serving of processed red meat, including bacon, hot dogs, sausage, and salami, raised the risk by 20%.
Read also: Lean Ground Beef for Weight Loss
Anyhow, consuming every food, including red meat or ground beef, sounds logical, as the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend restricting red meat consumption to about one serving per week.
Ground Beef Diet vs. Carnivore Diet
If you’re looking for low-carb diets like the ground beef diet, you probably know the Carnivore diet. Let’s compare the two and see how they differ. The ground beef diet is a limited version of the Carnivore diet. While you can consume various animal products in the Carnivore diet, you’re only allowed to eat beef in the ground beef diet. The ground beef diet is limited to beef and has no variety, only in the type of beef. The ground beef diet is a short-term plan and does not have long-term sustainability.
The Carnivore diet includes a wider range of meat and animal products than the ground beef diet. The Carnivore diet allows beef, pork, chicken, fish, and organ meats while excluding all plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. While ground meat can be part of the Carnivore diet, it focuses on whole cuts of meat. The Carnivore diet is more sustainable than the ground beef diet, and dieters can follow it for longer periods based on their health status, needs, and goals.
How to Follow a Ground Beef Diet
The ground beef diet is a really hassle-free diet to start. You just need to make different meals with ground beef and salt and enjoy. But pay attention to your body’s reactions and seek medical help if you see any serious negative effects.
Choosing the Best Ground Beef
Consider the following tips when choosing ground beef to make a healthier choice.
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- Leaner Cuts: Consuming leaner cuts (such as 90% lean or higher) lowers the saturated fat content.
- Grass-Fed Beef: Grass-fed beef comes from cattle that have been fed natural grass, meaning that their meat is more nutritious (e.g., it contains more omega-3 fatty acids) than conventionally raised beef.
- Organic and Hormone-Free: Purchase organic and hormone-free ground beef to ensure no unwanted hormones enter your body.
- Avoid Additives: Pure, unprocessed ground beef without additives is the healthiest option.
- Color and Freshness: Fresh ground beef is bright red. Avoid beef with a grayish or brownish tint, which can indicate spoilage.
- Safe Handling: Ground beef is susceptible to bacterial contamination, so ensure it's stored at the right temperature (ideally below 40°F or 4°C) and cooked thoroughly to kill any harmful bacteria.
Sample 7-Day Ground Beef Diet Meal Plan
Here's a sample ground beef diet 7-day meal plan. Remember that people on low-carb diets tend to have one or two meals a day. It’s completely fine to have three meals or more per day, but as low-carb and meaty foods are so filling, dieters cannot usually have more than one or two meals a day. It’s no secret that portion sizes and calorie counts depend on your needs, so adjust the quantities to fit your dietary goals. You can also consult a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian to get personalized guidance.
- Day 1: Beef meatballs for both meals
- Day 2: Meatloaf
- Day 3: Burger patties
- Day 4: Simple fried ground beef
- Day 5: Beef sausages
- Day 6: Rissoles
- Day 7: Beef stroganoff
The Rice Diet: An Alternative Approach
The Rice Diet is a short-term eating plan that’s low in calories, fat, salt, and protein, but high in carbs. It was first created to help treat high blood pressure and kidney disease, but some people now try it for quick weight loss. Despite its name, this diet is not all about rice. It’s been around since 1939, but it got a new wave of popularity when The Rice Diet Solution was published in 2006. The Rice Diet now includes a variety of whole foods. The plan promises to help you shed pounds and “cleanse and detox” your body while keeping you satisfied with nutrient-dense meals and controlled portions.
The Rice Diet is a low-fat, low-salt diet. Because sodium is an appetite stimulant, cutting back curbs your hunger. You’ll also fill up on high-fiber foods, so you’ll feel satisfied with fewer calories, say the authors.
Phases of the Rice Diet
- Phase 1 (detox mode): You’ll eat 800 calories a day. On the first day, you’ll stick with starches, such as rice, bread, pasta, or potatoes, and fruit. Over the next six days, you can add beans, vegetables, and non-fat milk. You’ll get 300-500 milligrams of sodium per day.
- Phase 2 (weight loss mode): You’ll average about 1,000 calories and 300-500 milligrams of sodium each day. You’ll eat fruit and starches for one day, followed by five days of fruit, starches, beans, vegetables, and non-fat milk. On the seventh day, you’ll add fish, dairy, eggs, or lean meat.
- Phase 3 (maintenance mode): This phase is the same as phase 1, but you’ll add 200 more calories per week until you reach your goal weight. You can also add tofu, cheese, nuts, seeds, olives, and olive oil. Sodium is increased to 500-1,000 milligrams per day.
Instead of counting calories, the Rice Diet breaks down its meals into portions. You’ll fill up on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nonfat or low-fat dairy, low-sodium beans, and lean protein. You can eat any whole grain, fruit, or vegetable, as long as they don’t have added fat or sodium.
Limitations and Considerations
“The Rice Diet is extremely strict,” says Dolores Woods, RD, nutritionist with UTHealth Houston. You’re going to cut way down on calories, salt, fat, and sugar - all at once. The food on the plan doesn’t give you enough calcium and vitamin D, so you will need supplements. Also, the plan offers much less protein than what’s recommended for healthy people. If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting this diet.
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The plan also recommends you skip alcohol, coffee, and caffeinated sodas. The Rice Diet isn’t strictly a gluten-free diet because you can eat bread, crackers, and other wheat-based foods. But it can easily become gluten-free. Rice doesn’t have gluten in it, so you’re good there. But gluten is in many products that you might not know it’s in, so if you’re going gluten-free, you’ll need to read food labels.
Potential Benefits of the Rice Diet
The Rice Diet can help you lose weight. The plan got its start as an inpatient way for clinics to help treat hypertension, and more recent research backs up these health benefits.
The plan is low in fat and sodium, which helps reduce blood pressure. In a study of more than 17,000 Rice Diet patients, the plan helped reduce blood pressure and weight in people who were overweight and obese, says study author Lin Pao-Hwa, PhD, a professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
Risks and Precautions
Because the Rice Diet has been around for decades, researchers show that it is safe when followed correctly and done under medical supervision. “Because the diet is very strict, it has nutritional deficiency,” says Woods. It falls short in vitamin D and calcium, so you’ll need to take supplements. It’s also low in protein, which can lead to muscle loss, especially in older adults. “You may also feel dizzy or tired because you’re not getting enough calories or electrolytes,” she says.
“Because the Rice Diet is very strict and low in calories, pregnant women, young children, and those with a history of eating disorders shouldn’t try it,” Woods says. A low-sodium diet may also be risky for certain people, such as older adults and those who do long-distance endurance exercise. Talk to your health care provider first if you’re thinking about trying the Rice Diet.
The Rice Diet Solution
Walter Kempner devised the rice diet in the 1940s to treat specific medical conditions that, at the time, had few treatment options. Kitty and Robert Rosati popularized the diet as a weight loss method in 2006 with their book, The Rice Diet Solution. However, the rice diet has disadvantages for this purpose. The restrictive nature of the diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies or a loss of muscle mass. Some have criticized newer versions of the diet as a fad or crash diet.
Phases of "The Rice Diet Solution"
The Rice Diet Solution has three phases. In each phase, people follow different versions of the diet for varying amounts of time per week. These versions are:
- the basic rice diet, which consists only of starches and fruit
- the lactovegetarian diet, which consists of starches, fruit, vegetables, and nonfat dairy
- the vegetarian diet, which includes starches, fruit, vegetables, and some protein
Starches include rice, beans, and grains. Nonfat dairy can include skim milk or zero fat yogurt. Vegetarian protein sources include beans, pulses, and soy products. The diet includes 500 to 1000 mg of sodium daily, with a minimum of 300 mg per day.
- Phase 1: Detox During this phase, a person follows the basic rice diet for 1 day per week. This means eating two starches and two fruits at each meal. For the rest of the week, a person eats a lactovegetarian rice diet, with nonfat dairy but no meat. This includes: one starch, one nonfat dairy product, and one fruit for breakfast; three starches, three vegetables, and one fruit for lunch; three starches, three vegetables, and one fruit for dinner. People can choose from any fruits or vegetables they wish to eat, but should not add extra fat to their meals.
- Phase 2: Weight loss This phase aims to help someone lose weight according to their health goals. The length of phase two depends on how much weight someone wants to lose. This phase consists of: the basic rice diet for 1 day per week; the lactovegetarian rice diet for 5 days per week; a vegetarian-plus rice diet for 1 day per week. The vegetarian-plus version of this diet is the same as the lactovegetarian diet, but includes a source of vegetarian protein, such as beans. This amounts to 200 more calories per day than the lactovegetarian rice diet.
- Phase 3: Maintenance This phase helps a person maintain their new weight. The authors provide guidelines for this phase but advise that once someone has reached their target weight, they may wish to make some 200 calorie additions to include fish, healthy fats, such as nuts and avocado, or dairy products. The diet consists of: the basic rice diet for 1 day per week; the lactovegetarian rice diet for 4 days per week; the vegetarian-plus rice diet for 2 days per week.
Considerations for the Rice Diet
Both versions of the rice diet are extremely restrictive. They involve avoiding whole food groups, either for the entire diet or in certain phases of the diet, and having very limited amounts of protein or fat. This could result in:
- Muscle loss: Low protein may cause some people to lose muscle mass or lack the amino acids necessary to synthesize protein.
- Low energy: Everyone needs a different number of calories per day depending on their sex, size, physical activity, and other factors. The Rice Diet Solution limits all people to the same calorie intake. For some, this may result in a significant calorie deficit, and could result in fatigue, weakness, or dizziness.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Foods that contain protein, such as meat, fish, and eggs, also contain other important nutrients that a person may find it difficult to get in sufficient quantities from the rice diet, particularly if they also avoid dairy. Some examples include B vitamins and iron. People may need to take supplements to fill these gaps. A dietitian can advise on this.
- Low essential fatty acids (EFAs): Healthy fats can be a source of EFAs, such as omega-3. These are essential for many bodily functions.
In general, people should not make dramatic changes to their diet without first consulting a doctor. This is especially true if they take medications, have any preexisting health conditions, or if they have a history of restrictive dieting or disordered eating.
The Vertical Diet: Another Performance-Based Approach
The Vertical Diet, also known as meat and rice diet, aims to revolutionize your approach to dietary habits and patterns. The Vertical Diet is a diet plan based on the philosophy of consuming nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest. To allow better nutrient absorption, the Vertical Diet encourages you to eat foods that are digestible. The main focus of a Vertical Diet is on red meat and white rice as they promote muscle growth and testosterone production. However, not all of your micronutrients can be met with these two foods. When it comes to dietary restrictions, Stan Efferding says, “I don’t eat foods I like, I eat foods that like me.” Since everyone’s body is different, what may not suit one person may be the most easy-to-digest food for another. The goal of the Vertical Diet is to eat foods that you can easily digest. Vertical Diet is designed to enhance performance and athletic prowess.
Potential Benefits of the Vertical Diet
- Because the diet emphasizes consuming low-FODMAP foods, the Vertical Diet significantly reduces constipation, bloating, and diarrhea.
- By consuming foods that are easy to digest, you can eat more and burn more. One of the greatest problems athletes face is consuming enough calories because they eat nutrient-dense food. This feeling of being full hampers weight gain.
- Since the Vertical Diet is a protein-rich diet, it not only promotes muscle growth but also recovery.
- What makes the Vertical Diet so great is that it is simple yet effective. With its minimal ingredients, it fulfills your body’s nutrient requirements - all the while keeping you healthy. It minimizes high-sugar, processed, and caffeinated items.
- The greater the variety, the greater the choices and variables at play. This can make it harder to keep track of your calories and nutrient consumption. With the Vertical Diet, although your options are limited, you’re able to easily monitor what you’re putting in your body.
The best part about the Vertical Diet is that you can tailor it according to your caloric requirements.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
- Red meat, the main component, is more expensive than most sources of protein. The reason red meat is preferred over white meat is because of its nutritional value. A cheaper fix to consuming just red meat is to consume some white meat as well. If you are consuming iron, zinc, and vitamin B in adequate quantities, consuming just white meat in place of red meat has no downsides.
- Current studies suggest that we do not need to limit red meat in contrast to professional advice that says red meat should not be excessively consumed. Some health professionals do suggest a link between excessive red meat consumption and bowel cancer. Another example of red meat and its notorious effects is that people who eat red meat are more likely to commit behaviors with negative health effects vs. people who follow plant-based diet.
- Another major downside of the meat and rice diet is that not everyone can have it.
- Since the Vertical Diet restricts a lot of grains, beans, and even veggies, it may lead to an overall nutritional imbalance. For instance, it restricts high-fiber foods as they could lead to bloating. However, fiber is also crucial for gut health and healthy digestion.
The Vertical Diet Structure
It is called the Vertical Diet because of its structure and nutrient division. It focuses on highly nutritious foods that are easy to digest, and they make up the vertical element of the diet. A Vertical Diet promotes eating habits that are nutrient-rich and easy to digest. Yes, whether you’re on a Vertical Diet or not, you should always choose to work out and stay fit. However, a Vertical Diet is high in carbs along with being protein-rich, which means that not only does it boost post-workout recovery, it also fuels your body for your workouts. Include different types of meat, like ground beef, in your diet to balance cost and nutrition.
Key Components of the Vertical Diet
- Primary foods: Red meat and white rice comprise the bulk of the Vertical Diet. Red meat is preferred over poultry or fish due to its nutrient density and concentration of iron, B vitamins, zinc, and cholesterol, which the diet claims are important for muscle growth and testosterone production. However, as you can’t meet all your micronutrient needs with these two foods, the diet includes a limited amount of nutrient-rich, easily digestible foods, such as eggs, yogurt, spinach, and salmon.
- Restrictions: All foods that aren’t easily digestible are discouraged. These include vegetables that may cause bloating and gas, such as broccoli and cauliflower, which are high in FODMAPs, as well as onion and garlic. Legumes, brown rice, and other grains are also curbed because they contain lectins and phytic acid, which may limit your absorption of certain nutrients. However, small amounts of legumes and oats are allowed as long as they’re sprouted or soaked to make them easier to digest.
- Steps: When starting out, you calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the number of calories your body needs to function while at rest. You then add calories based on your training regimen. Bodybuilders should aim for a calorie surplus to gain muscle weight. As your body adjusts to the diet and starts to feel hungry between meals, you’re supposed to “go vertical” by adding more calories. This process is meant to support greater muscle gains, quicker recovery, and more intense or frequent training sessions.
Potential Benefits of the Vertical Diet
- May support muscle gains: By focusing on easily digestible foods, the Vertical Diet makes it easier to eat frequent, high-calorie meals without experiencing digestive side effects. Furthermore, the diet emphasizes increasing your carb intake, which can help boost muscle mass.
- May reduce digestive symptoms in some individuals: Diets low in FODMAPs - foods that the Vertical Diet limits - have been shown to significantly reduce digestive symptoms, such as bloating, stomach cramps, constipation, and diarrhea, in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Potential Downsides of the Vertical Diet
- Low in fiber: Adequate fiber intake aids fullness, heart health, and digestive health. It may also lower the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancer.
- Low in prebiotics: Despite claims that it boosts gut health, the Vertical Diet excludes many important sources of prebiotics - dietary fiber that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut - including garlic, onions, and barley.
- Limited in variety: The diet is restrictive and repetitive, making long-term adherence difficult. It may also lead to nutrient deficiencies if not planned correctly.
- Inappropriate for vegetarians or vegans: As the Vertical Diet emphasizes red meat intake while limiting vegetable, grain, and legume intake, it’s unsuitable for people who are vegetarian or vegan.
- Expensive to follow: While white rice is usually cheap, the other components of the Vertical Diet can be costly - especially considering the recommendation to buy only high-quality foods, such as grass-fed beef and organic produce.
Foods Allowed and Discouraged on the Vertical Diet
The Vertical Diet emphasizes red meat and white rice while offering limited amounts of other items.
Foods you can eat on this diet include:
- Rice: white only
- Red meat: beef, lamb, bison, and venison
- Fruits: mostly oranges, 100% orange juice, cranberries, and 100% cranberry juice - but all fruits are allowed
- Potatoes: white and sweet potatoes
- Low-FODMAP vegetables: carrots, celery, zucchini, cucumber, bell peppers, eggplant, spinach, butternut squash
- Oils and fats: extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, nuts
- Fatty fish: wild Alaskan salmon is highly encouraged
- Eggs: whole eggs
- Dairy: full-fat yogurt, whole milk, cheese
- Sodium: bone broth, chicken stock, iodized table salt
- Poultry: chicken, turkey
- Oats: only if soaked and fermented
- Legumes: beans and other legumes, only if soaked and fermented
The Vertical Diet discourages foods it considers difficult to digest, as well as highly processed foods, including:
- Grains: brown rice, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, wheat flour, unsoaked oats
- Legumes: unsoaked lentils, beans, soy, peas, peanuts
- Highly processed vegetable oils: canola, soybean, corn, safflower
- Onions and garlic: all forms of onion, garlic, and shallots
- High-FODMAP vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, kale
- Sugar alcohols: erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol
- Added sugar: candy, pastries, baked goods, soda, sports drinks
- Coffee: regular and decaf
- Other beverages: alkalized water