Beef and broccoli: the sauce is not where the beef is.
Beef and broccoli is a lean stir-fry that takeaways make heavy with oil and sugar. Use a lean cut, measure the oil and the sugar, and a serving goes from 676 to 529 kcal.
- 529 kcal a serving, down from 676 for the classic, with 46 g protein, 68 g carbs and 9 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 58 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,700 g when finished, from 10 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same beef and broccoli, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 4 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 676 | 529 | −147 |
| Protein g | 42 | 46 | +4 |
| Carbs g | 73 | 68 | −5 |
| Fat g | 24 | 9 | −15 |
| Saturated fat g | 6.2 | 2.2 | −4.0 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Use lean top round, not flank steak with its fat
−66 kcal, +4 g protein, −8 g fat, −3.4 g saturated fat a serving
For the same 600 g, 66 kcal and 3.4 g of saturated fat less a serving, and thin slices keep it tender.
2. Stir-fry in 14 g of oil, not 42 g
−61 kcal, −7 g fat, −0.6 g saturated fat a serving
A hot wok needs only a film of oil. The rest was 61 kcal a serving.
3. Use 10 g of sugar, not 30 g
−20 kcal, −5 g carbs a serving
Sugar is 387 kcal per 100 g, so 20 g less is 20 kcal a serving, and the soy and ginger still carry the sauce.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 46 g protein and 529 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 800 g of beef
+61 kcal, +12 g protein, +2 g fat, +0.6 g saturated fat a serving, making 58 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of lean top round adds 12 g of protein a serving for 61 kcal.
Add edamame
+61 kcal, +6 g protein, +5 g carbs, +3 g fat, +0.4 g saturated fat a serving, making 52 g protein a serving
200 g of edamame in the stir-fry adds 6 g of protein a serving for 61 kcal.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, top round steak, lean only, raw | 600 g | 726 | 142 | 0 | 18 |
| Broccoli, raw | 600 g | 204 | 17 | 40 | 2 |
| White rice, raw | 240 g | 876 | 17 | 192 | 2 |
| Onions, raw | 100 g | 40 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Soy sauce | 60 g | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Cornstarch | 12 g | 46 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Sugars, granulated | 10 g | 39 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Ginger root | 15 g | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Garlic | 12 g | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Canola oil | 14 g | 124 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Whole recipe | 1,663 g | 2,117 | 183 | 272 | 36 |
| Per serving (4) | 425 g | 529 | 46 | 68 | 9 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
Beef and broccoli is a good recipe to build because it is a short list: the cut of beef, the oil and the sugar are nearly all of the calories. Takeaway versions vary a lot, and your own pan gives you numbers you control.
What to weigh
Weigh the beef raw and the rice raw, as the library entries describe them. The sample finishes at about 1,700 g from 1,663 g of ingredients, because the rice drinks water and the broccoli gives some back. Water adds grams, not calories.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food and choose Create a recipe, name it, then choose Add ingredient and search the library. Typing "beef top round" lists the raw cuts, each with its calories per 100 g.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the raw, lean top round steak, switch the portion to grams and enter what the scale showed. The sheet shows 726 kcal for the beef before you add the broccoli.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the broccoli, rice (weighed dry), onion, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, ginger, garlic and 14 g of oil, then enter the 4 servings and the 1,700 g you weighed at the end. One serving comes to 529 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods. The next screen is the normal Add food form, ready to log one serving or any weight of it.
Tips while you build it
- Slice the beef thinly against the grain and toss it with the cornstarch. A lean cut stays tender and the sauce clings to it.
- Blanch the broccoli for a minute before it goes in the pan, so it needs less time and less oil.
- A serving is about 425 g: beef, broccoli and rice. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the takeaway version? Build the flank steak, 30 g of sugar and 42 g of oil version as a second recipe, and log whichever one you served.
- Use brown rice: search "rice brown long-grain raw" and enter the same dry weight.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Beef and broccoli questions.
How many calories are in beef and broccoli?
It depends on the cut, the oil and the sugar. The sample comes to 529 kcal a serving made lighter, with 46 g protein, 68 g carbs and 9 g fat, against 676 kcal with flank steak and a sweeter, oilier sauce.
Does lean top round get tough?
It can if it is overcooked. Slice it thin against the grain, cook it hot and fast, and take it out as soon as it changes colour.
Should I weigh the beef raw or cooked?
Raw, because the library entry is raw. Weigh the finished plate once, to enter the finished weight.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own chinese favourite in Nutrition.