Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Grass fed Beef and other meats

The debate over the composition and benefits of Grass fed Beef versus Grain fed Beef has garnered a substantial amount of publicity over the past couple of years. There have been myriad empirical studies carried out and published about Grass Fed Beef. All meat is definitely not created/grown equally. As an unapologetic Omnivore meat is a staple of my diet. That said, the quality and origins of the meat that I typically ingest is of supreme import.

The majority of arguments center around whether or not Grass Fed Beef is healthier and more environmentally friendly than the commercially processed Grain fed Beef. The overwhelming majority of empirical and, admittedly less persuasive, anecdotal evidence leans strongly in favor of Grass Fed Beef. Grass Fed Beef may be slightly more expensive, but it's naturally leaner contains significantly higher levels of both Omega 3 fatty acid and linoleic acid.
The following hubpage contains quite a bit of useful information on the subject:


A few issues that the page didn't address is that many commercial farms are now attempting to fool consumers into believing that their Beef is grass fed. What's often done is that they will give the cattle access to both grains, corn, and grass. Thereby, circumventing the current rules and regulations about organically grown animals. The truth is in the meat itself. One simple method of recognizing Grass Fed Beef is by looking at the fatty tissue that surrounds the meat. Instead of being white like your typical corn fed beef it will yellow. Grass Fed ground beef is typically more dense as well.

It can be difficult to find Grass Fed Beef in supermarkets. Moreover, the ubiquitous problem of confusing food labels rears it's head again. Fortunately, there are resources, such as the following to help:


Not unlike the arguments made by proponents of High Fructose Corn Syrup there will continue to be arguments for Grain fed Beef. Fortunately, there's even stronger empirical evidence to support the merits of Grass Fed Beef over the Grain Fed variety. It may be slightly more expensive but when you factor in the health benefits Grass Fed Beef is clearly a healthy component to an omnivorous diet.

Ks3(Keep safe, smart, strong),

JD Blackstar

1 comment:

Unknown said...

All the farms listed on www.eatwild.com are from farmers who raise their ruminants --- cows, sheep, goats, bison --- on grazed and stored pasture. No grain or "byproduct feedstuff," thank you. Go to the state by state listing www.eatwild.com/products/index.html
for the farms closest to you.