Lean Beef Patty Nutrition Facts for a Cooked Lunch Portion

A beef patty can be the main protein ingredient in a lunch, but the blend and cooking method need to be clear before assigning nutrition values. This card describes a broiled patty made from ground beef labeled 95% lean meat and 5% fat. The serving is the cooked patty itself. A bun, cheese, sauce, and side dishes are not included. A cooked portion of 3 ounces, represented as 85 grams in the USDA FoodData Central entry, provides approximately 148 calories, 22.4 grams of protein, and 5.8 grams of total fat. These values come from the same food record and serving weight. Calories are rounded to a whole number, while protein and fat are rounded to one decimal place. They are reference estimates for the specified preparation. The lean-to-fat description identifies the ground beef blend used in the entry. It is not a statement that the cooked serving contains exactly the same percentage of fat by weight. Cooking changes moisture and can change the amount of fat retained. Use the cooked food record when weighing a cooked patty, and do not substitute its numbers directly for an uncooked portion. Patty size is another source of uncertainty. A thick patty and a thin patty can look similar from above while weighing differently. To match the card, weigh the edible patty after cooking. If making several patties from a package, note the cooked yield rather than assuming that the raw package weight divides into identical cooked portions. The actual preparation and serving determine the relevant quantity. Other ground beef blends, meat mixtures, and prepared burgers need their own information. Added breadcrumbs, egg, cheese, or sauces change the recipe. A packaged patty may also have ingredients beyond beef. When a product label is available, use that specific information and its preparation instructions instead of replacing it with a generic reference that does not match. For lunch planning, think of the patty as one part of the plate. Bread, vegetables, a grain, condiments, and sides contribute additional nutrients. These are meal-building possibilities rather than a fixed recipe with a nutrition total. If you want to describe the entire lunch, record every component and add the values for the quantities actually eaten. A protein-focused meal still has more to consider than the meat alone. The total-fat figure on the card applies to the broiled patty reference. It does not include cooking oil or toppings added in your kitchen. Similarly, the protein amount is a contribution from this portion, not a universal meal target. Individual preferences and the broader eating pattern matter when choosing what to serve alongside it. The takeaway is to identify the blend, use cooked weight, and keep the plain patty separate from the finished burger or meal calculation. Clear preparation details make nutrition facts useful without turning a single lunch ingredient into a weight-loss claim. Source: USDA FoodData Central, beef, ground, 95% lean meat / 5% fat, patty, cooked, broiled, FDC 171791. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171791/nutrients #BeefNutrition #HighProteinLunch #CookedPortion #NutritionFacts