How Many Weight Watchers SmartPoints Does Ground Beef Have?

Ground beef is a versatile ingredient that can be used in everything from burgers and tacos to meatballs and chili. But if you’re following the Weight Watchers program, you need to keep track of how many SmartPoints ground beef contains. The number of points depends on the fat percentage of the beef.

Here’s a guide to how many SmartPoints different types of ground beef contain so you can stay on track with your Weight Watchers goals.

Overview of Weight Watchers Plans

Before getting into the SmartPoints for ground beef let’s quickly go over the different Weight Watchers plans

• Green Plan: Focuses on 100+ ZeroPoint foods. More generous with SmartPoints.

• Blue Plan More balanced approach Moderate amount of ZeroPoint foods

• Purple Plan ZeroPoint foods are mostly fruits and veggies Lower SmartPoints budget

The number of daily SmartPoints you get depends on which plan you choose. The leaner the ground beef, the fewer SmartPoints it will have.

SmartPoints for Lean Ground Beef (95% Lean)

The leanest ground beef you can buy is 95% lean. This has only 5% fat content.

• A 3 ounce cooked portion of 95% lean ground beef has 4 SmartPoints on the Green, Blue, and Purple plans.

• So for a typical 4 ounce burger made with 95% lean beef, you’d count 5 or 6 SmartPoints depending on exact weight.

Extra lean ground beef has the lowest SmartPoints, so choose this when possible. Look for labels like 95% lean or 90% lean.

SmartPoints for 90% Lean Ground Beef

• 3 ounces of cooked 90% lean ground beef has 5 SmartPoints.

• A 4 ounce burger will have 6 or 7 SmartPoints.

90% lean beef has a bit more fat than 95% lean, so the SmartPoints are slightly higher. But it’s still a leaner option.

SmartPoints for 85% Lean Ground Beef

• 3 ounces of cooked 85% lean ground beef has 6 SmartPoints.

• A typical 4 ounce burger made with 85% lean beef has 8 SmartPoints.

At 85% lean, more of the fat has been left in compared to the 90% or 95% lean options. But it still has fewer SmartPoints than regular 80% lean beef.

SmartPoints for 80% Lean Ground Beef

• 3 ounces of cooked 80% lean ground beef has 6 SmartPoints on Blue and Purple. On Green it has 7 SmartPoints.

• A 4 ounce burger made with 80% lean beef has 8 SmartPoints on Blue and Purple, or 9 SmartPoints on Green.

This is the fat percentage for most store-bought regular ground beef. Try to choose leaner beef when cooking Weight Watchers recipes.

SmartPoints for 73-75% Lean Ground Beef

• 3 ounces of cooked 73-75% lean ground beef has 7 SmartPoints on Blue and Purple plans, and 8 SmartPoints on Green.

• A typical 4 ounce burger made with 73-75% lean beef would have 9 SmartPoints on Blue and Purple, or 10 SmartPoints on Green.

At this fat percentage, there is more fat mixed into the ground beef, ramping up the SmartPoints. Stick to 80% lean or preferably 90-95% lean when possible.

Tips for Cooking With Ground Beef on WW

• Choose 90-95% lean ground beef whenever you can to keep SmartPoints down.

• Weigh cooked ground beef after cooking to determine accurate SmartPoints.

• Drain fat after cooking to remove extra calories and SmartPoints.

• Flavor with spices, herbs, mustard, etc. instead of high fat toppings.

• Stretch ground beef in recipes with veggies like onions, mushrooms, etc.

• Substitute ground turkey breast which has less fat and SmartPoints in some recipes.

Delicious WW-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes

Here are some tasty Weight Watchers-approved ground beef recipes to enjoy:

• Zucchini Beef Sliders (5 SmartPoints on Green)

• Weight Watchers Spaghetti Squash Bolognese (7 SmartPoints on Blue)

• Easy Healthy Baked Cheeseburger Casserole for Two (8 SmartPoints on Green)

• Weight Watchers Taco Pie (4 SmartPoints on Blue)

• Weight Watchers Egg Roll in a Bowl (2 SmartPoints on Green)

• Weight Watchers Beef and Bean Chili (7 SmartPoints on Blue)

• Weight Watchers Meatloaf (6 SmartPoints on Blue)

Knowing how many SmartPoints are in ground beef helps you stay on track with Weight Watchers meal planning. Choose 90-95% lean ground beef when cooking to keep the SmartPoints down. And flavor it up with bold seasonings instead of fats for delicious low SmartPoint recipes. What’s your favorite way to enjoy ground beef while following Weight Watchers?