Calories in Beef Stew

If you are craving comfort food, than you cannot beat a creamy beef stew. It is made with chunky beef pieces, some vegetables, spices and a dollop of cream. There are different recipes of beef stew and most households have a family recipe that is handed down. Calories in beef stew depends on the way that it is prepared as well as the recipe that is used. Since a stew is made by using different proportions of beef pieces, vegetables and spices, therefore it is very difficult to calculate the calories in it. If you are purchasing canned beef stew, the calorie content is listed on the label of the can. Canned beef stew is much higher in calories as well as nutritionally poor than homemade beef stew. There are a number of ways in which you can reduce beef stew calorie count for a healthier and lighter meal option.

Beef Stew Calories

The basic ingredient in a beef stew is the beef. While making a beef stew the cut of beef you choose will have a bearing on the taste as well as calories in the beef stew. Tougher cuts of beef called the "chuck" and "brisket" are best for making beef stews since it becomes soft and tender when cooked in the stew. Making a stew is a slow cooking method and hence tougher cuts of meat work well in it. Avoid using lean cuts of beef or expensive cuts like sirloin and tenderloin. A classic beef stew made with "chuck" pieces with mixed vegetables like celery, carrot and potatoes in a tomato based gravy has 222 calories for 1 cup serving. The total fat content in this type of stew is 9.73 grams, 791 mg sodium, 13.86 grams protein and 19.53 grams carbohydrates. It is quite high in sodium and saturated fat, although it provides a good amount of protein and dietary fiber.

Beef stew is made by dredging the pieces of beef in flour and then searing it in a hot pan with a bit of oil or butter. Make sure that you brown the meat in batches so that the meat is cooked properly. You can make the stew healthier by using olive oil instead of butter for searing. Once the beef pieces has been seared, it is removed from the pan and a deglazing liquid, usually white wine is used. If you want to cut back on calories, deglaze with homemade vegetable stock or beef stock instead. It will give your stew a better flavor too. Do not use store bought vegetable or beef stock as they contain a higher amount of sodium which will make your stew too salty.

Vegetables added to the beef stew makes it more nutritious and gives it its unique flavor and aroma. Add more vegetables like carrots, kale, spinach, leek, broccoli and turnip to increase its nutritional value. Avoid using cornstarch to thicken the stew and use Dijon mustard and fresh herbs and spices to give it more flavor. Most cooks like to make their beef stews richer by adding a dollop of fresh cream. But this will increase homemade beef stew calories. So skip the cream and use a spoon of thick Greek yogurt instead.

Calories in ground beef is much higher than that in a beef stew. So it is best to opt for a beef stew than a chili made with ground beef. Beef stew is the ultimate comfort food and it is high in protein and vitamins. Cooking it the right way and increasing the amount of vegetables in the stew will make it more nutritious.