There are beef choices to satisfy all tastes, schedules and budgets. Planning menus, creating shopping lists and knowing what to look for on the label when buying beef will help you s-t-r-e-t-c-h your food dollar, without sacrificing the health benefits of a high-quality protein diet.

Here are some tips to help make efficient purchasing decisions at the meat counter:

Evaluate purchases based on the cost per serving - not just the price per pound. The amount of beef to buy varies with the cut selected. Cooked yields per pound are related to the amount of bone, fat trim and cooking method.

Match the cut with the cooking method. Matching the beef cut to the appropriate cooking method is the key to moist, tender, flavorful beef. For instance, less-tender steak cuts from the chuck, round, plate and flank (shoulder steak, eye round steak, top round steak, skirt steak, flank steak) are more affordable, but all require a tenderizing marinade before cooking using the grill, broiler or stove top.  For many less-tender roasts and steaks, moist heat cooking methods, such as braising or using a slow cooker appliance, break down the strong muscle fibers, guaranteeing moist, flavorful results.

Plan ahead to cook once and dine twice. Preparing a little extra ahead of time is an easy way to create beef dishes that are ready to serve without breaking the bank. A grilled steak tonight easily becomes a key ingredient for tomorrow's protein-packed salad. Or crumble leftover cooked burgers into chili, pizza or pasta dishes for a planned meal the next day.

Explore the versatility of ground beef. A perfect option for many recipe favorites is 95 percent lean ground beef, a convenient and economical way to add protein to a family meal. A traditional meatloaf is easily transformed into Southwest Meatloaf with the addition of a few flavorful, low cost ingredients. Extra servings can be frozen for future use, or continue the fiesta the next day and create a meatloaf burrito wrap.

Buy in bulk to realize cost savings. Instead of buying pre-cut meat for kabobs, stew and stir-fry, save money by buying steaks or roasts and cutting into meat cubes or strips. Another approach is to purchase boneless roasts to cut into steaks. Your local butcher may be happy to slice them for you without added cost. Plan ahead and freeze cut beef for 6 to 12 months.