| Cut | Protein per 100g | Fat per 100g | Calories per 100g | Cost per 1kg |
| Eye round | 28g | 4g | 182 | ~$14.99 |
| Flank steak | 28g | 8g | 192 | ~$18.99 |
| Sirloin tip steak | 27g | 4g | 200 | ~$29.99 |
| Skirt steak | 26g | 10g | 220 | ~$22.99 |
| Top sirloin steak | 24g | 5g | 213 | ~$19.99 |
While most bodybuilders live on a diet of lean chicken and fish, sometimes, the hankering for a meaty piece of steak just won’t go away. However, steak can be pretty heavy in saturated fat – not to mention heavy on the wallet, too.
Enter our list of the best low-calorie, low fat and high-protein cuts of steak that are good for your gains and your wallet.
Best Cuts Of Steak That Are Low Calorie & High-Protein ✅
Eye of Round Steak
Rear of cow
This cut comes from the rear of the cow, mostly near the rear legs, which means it’s super dense in protein and iron.
In terms of protein, for every 7g of protein, there’s 1g of fat, making the eye of round a delicious and high-protein cut of steak.
Cooking Tips: Because it is low in fat and high in protein it can be quite tough. To make it easier to chew and digest, you can marinate the steak in oil and salt before cooking it.
Beef Flank Steak
Abdomen area
Beef flank steak is one of the more uncommon steak cuts, but it’s readily available across Australian butchers and supermarkets. Flank meat comes from the cow’s abdomen, below the loin and sirloin.
It’s high protein – one of the highest protein cuts of steak. It has a ratio of 3.5g of protein to 1g of fat.
Cooking Tips: Flank steak is ideal for grilling, stir-fries, and steak. It’s best served thinly sliced.
Sirloin Tip-Side Steak
Middle back area
Knuckle steak is another very lean cut of meat that comes from the cow’s round or near its hip. Sirloin-tip side steak is also known as breakfast steak.
In terms of protein, it’s the same as the eye of round, with 7g of protein for every 1g of fat. While this cut is pretty lean, you can make it even leaner by trimming off any visible fat before cooking.
Cooking Tip: Cook the meat with the fat on, and cut the fat off after you’ve cooked it.
Skirt Steak
Under the rib
As you can see from the picture, skirt steak is one of the fattier cuts of meat with 2.5g of protein per 1g of fat.
However, it’s rich in flavour, good on the wallet and high in protein. It comes from the abdomen of the cow and is very lean. Skirt steak is cut across the grain, giving it a more unusual texture than other cuts.
Cooking Tip: The best way to cook skirt steak is quickly and over high heat.
Top Sirloin Steak
Loin area
Top sirloin steak comes from the very top of the loin section of a cow. When considering protein, price and flavour, it’s one of the best money can buy.
While it’s on the fattier (5g of protein for every 1g of fat), it’s budget-friendly, tasty as anything and still delivers a good dose of protein. Top sirloin is also a great natural source of creatine.
Cooking Tip: Top sirloin is ideal for the grill but also delicious when roasted.
Cooking Tips for Your Budget Steak 🧑🏽🍳
- Season, season and season some more. Rub it with salt and oil to help tenderise the meat. You can also add herbs and spices – go wild!
- If you have time to spare, set it aside on the benchtop about an hour before cooking. This will make the beef more flavourful, but also easier to chew and digest.
- Cook your steak with the fat on, and then cut the fat off before eating for a more tasty piece of steak.
What is the Healthiest Way to Eat Steak? 🍴
The first step is to choose a low calorie steak cut like eye of round, flank, or sirloin tip steak.
Then you need to choose your cooking method – slow cooking, pressure cooking and sous vide are some of the healthiest ways to cook steak.
Choose your sides – salad, rice, veg etc. Avoid sugary marinades. If you’re watching your calories, it’s best to just enjoy your steak without any sauce and simply season with salt and pepper.
Best Cut of Steak for Bodybuilders 🏋🏻♂️
According to the subreddit r/leangains, here are the most popular types of steak that bodybuilders/gym-goers eat:
- Top sirloin
- Flank
- Beef skirt
- Eye of round
Steaks to Steer Clear of (Most of the Time) 👎🏻
While anything in moderation is generally fine, there are certain cuts of steak you should steer clear of if you don’t want to sink your clean eating and hard work in the kitchen and gym.
- Rib-eye steak
- T-bone steak
- Porterhouse steak
These cuts are all high in fat (with a roughly 1:1 ratio of protein to fat), and they are the more expensive cuts of meat.
Best Low Cal/High Protein Steak FAQs 🥩
What’s the lowest calorie steak?
The lowest calorie steak cut is the eye of round at just 182 calories per 100g, with 4g of fat and 28g of protein.
What cut of steak is highest in protein?
Eye of round or flank steak is your best high protein steak cut with 28g per 100g of meat.
What’s the leanest cut of steak for bodybuilding?
Eye of round or sirloin tip steak is the leanest cut of steak and ideal for bodybuilders with just 4g of fat per 100g of meat.
