Just How Healthy Is an 8 Ounce Filet Mignon?

Filet mignon, which comes from a tenderloin steak, is a tender cut of beef that is generally pricier than other steaks. Beef is a good source of many nutrients that support your overall health, making it a reasonable addition to a well-balanced diet. But watch your portion sizes, since an eight-ounce serving of filet mignon contains:

• 440 calories
  
• 34 grams of fat
  
• 34 grams of protein
  
• 0 grams of carbohydrates
  

Filet mignon is available at many supermarket meat counters, and the store butcher may be able to cut it for you, if not.

Many doctors recommend limiting how much red meat you eat because it's high in saturated fat, which increases your risk of heart disease if eaten in large quantities.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one serving of filet mignon is typically 3 ounces, so eating an eight-ounce serving, with 440 calories and nearly 34 grams of fat, with 12 grams being saturated, may be overdoing it. In addition, a diet that's too high in fat and filet mignon calories can result in weight gain.

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Beef is a sound source of protein, a nutrient that is vital to your body's cells, tissues, organs and bones. It plays a role in hormone function and immunity, and also supports healthy nails, hair and skin.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, male adults should consume six one-ounce equivalents of protein per day, while females should aim for five. There are about 34 grams of protein in eight ounces of filet mignon, which meets this daily recommendation.

Meat is an important source of iron, and eight ounces of filet mignon contains just over three milligrams. According to the National Institutes of Health, daily intake recommendation for iron is eight milligrams per day for men and 18 milligrams daily for women. Iron aids in transporting oxygen through your blood and plays a role in cell growth.

Symptoms of a deficiency include weakness and a decrease in immunity. Up to 80 percent of the world's population is iron-deficient, reports the Office of Dietary Supplements — something that can be prevented by including the recommended number of servings of meat in meal plans each day.

The daily intake recommendations for zinc are eight milligrams for women and 11 milligrams for men, according to the National Institutes of Health. An eight-ounce serving of filet mignon contributes nearly eight milligrams to this goal.

Zinc is a nutrient that your body needs for wound healing, appetite control and immune system function. It's essential for healthy physical and mental growth, and development among children.

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Animal foods are the only source of vitamin B-12, making it an important part of filet mignon nutrition. This vitamin aids in red blood cell formation and neurological function.

Symptoms of a deficiency include weakness, fatigue, constipation, lack of appetite, balance problems, confusion, depression and dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health. Daily intake recommendations are 2.4 micrograms per day for both men and women. An eight-ounce serving of filet mignon contains about 2.5 micrograms of vitamin B-12.