Nutrition info for Filet Mignon

[JaredOnly]

Hey everybody! I would normally never post anything as trivial as this, but I am reading such varying information that I could use some input.

What nutrition info do you use for Filet Mignon? I am currently looking for 8 ounces (raw) and home come across a pretty big range for calories (250-600) and fat (15-40 grams), with less of a range for protein (40-60 grams). I don't mind as much for the calories (I would guess ~500 is probably a good guess), but am confused on the huge difference in fat content.

I am fairly good at tracking down nutrition info, but I came across such different results for this cut of meat. During my research I found articles that would rank filet mignon among the healthier, lean cuts of meat and others that argue that it has the highest fat content.

I have been eating top sirloin a lot recently, and was wondering how much worse filet mignon really was.

Thanks for any input!!

[LisaS]

Here are the choices from the USDA - you have to specify your grade (prime, choice, select) and the trim level -
I'd look at the various raw options, figuring which seemed to match the piece of meat I was looking at (marbling & trim) and choose accordingly.


Found 4 items about : filet mignon raw

Beef, tenderloin, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, all grades, raw

Beef, tenderloin, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, raw

Beef, tenderloin, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, prime, raw

Beef, tenderloin, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, raw

[JaredOnly]

Thanks Lisa, I did come across the USDA database while searching. I have found that this database doesn't always seem correct, but I really appreciate the input.

Besides specific nutritional data info, I was really wondering how others would rank filet mignon among various cuts of beef. Currently, I have found articles listing it as a lean cut, and others as a highly fatty cut.

EDIT: Lisa, I just took another look at those listings. Falls in line with a few other reviews, putting 8oz (raw) at around 560 cals, 40 grams fat and 44 grams protein. Seems that this would argue that filet mignon is pretty fatty, especially when compared to leaner cuts like top sirloin!! Thanks again!

[Lost Dog]

It's a part of the tenderloin

[LisaS]

depends on the marbling and the trim level (assuming you eat it 100%) - I could put two steaks in front of you and give you very different answers

[LisaS]

Almost all the nutrition software choices out there use the USDA numbers as their underlying database, with additional foods where they use label content for packaged foods as additions.

[JaredOnly]

Thanks again everybody! Appreciate the quick responses. I guess the confusion really stemmed from the sources that considered filet a lean cut of meat. I'm not saying its bad for you or anything, but clearly there is a lot more fat than most lean cuts! (I understand each cut is unique, just a generalization).

[LisaS]

it wouldn't be tender and delicious in such a short cooking time if it were very very lean

[JaredOnly]

Originally Posted by LisaS

it wouldn't be tender and delicious in such a short cooking time if it were very very lean

Also posted this question on another forum (dailyplate), and thought I would share the response (in case any one else winds up reading this thread and finds it useful).

Originally Posted by Ipag

Filet Mignon is as lean or even leaner than a top sirloin depending on how trimmed it is. A 6oz piece trimmed of all fat, will run you 325 calories about 16g of fat with about 5-6g being saturated. Protein is about 50g.The same piece untrimmed will double the calories and fat. Hence where there is such a discrepancy in the entries. Heavily trimmed pieces are usually wrapped in bacon in order to prevent them from drying out. People probably believe that its fatty because it is very very tender. It has nothing to do with fat but because its a non weight bearing muscle.

/friend is a butcher
/worked in a steakhouse

[LisaS]

this is true - it isn't like it is from the leg or glutes - so there is not a lot of collagen or connective tissue that would need to be broken down in long cooking - so in that sense, it is tender already compared to what you would use for a stew -

I still think you just have to look at the trim and the marbling of the piece that you are discussing and make your own choices - so a really well marbled piece of top sirloin compared to a small filet with no marbling - you can do the math.