Why Buy Grass Fed Beef?
Why Buy Grass Fed Beef?
I used to avoid red meat all together. That was because I thought red meat (and saturated fat) was something that we all needed to avoid if we wanted to live a long, healthy life.
But then I started learning a lot more about real food. And that’s when I discovered grass fed beef—and how it’s completely different from the standard beef we see most often in stores and restaurants.
Now, we eat beef at home pretty often—but only if it’s grass fed. It’s not because we’re snobby, but once you learn about grass fed beef and experience the difference, you just can’t go back!
Here are 4 reasons why you should be buying grass fed beef:
1. Cows are designed to eat grass
Cows are designed by nature to be grass-eating machines. Their digestive systems are specifically designed to eat grass ALL day, and turn it into body mass.
It’s pretty amazing if you think about it. If we only had grass to eat, we would wither away in no time. But nature created cows differently.
Cows are able to grow so big from a grass-only diet because they have an extra stomach (called a rumen). It’s filled with bacteria and enzymes that ferment blades of green grass and convert them into protein.
Why don’t all cows eat grass now?
Years ago someone figured out that by feeding cows grain (mainly corn and soy) they got fat. Really fast. Beef producers realized that the faster you can make a cow fat, the more profit you could produce.
So now, standard beef cattle are fed a diet of corn and soy, and supplemented with hormones, steroids, and animal byproduct to speed up the process even more.
The grain feed might make the cows fat faster, but it also makes them really sick because their bodies weren’t designed to eat it. They have to be given lots of antibiotics just to keep them alive long enough to reach full weight.
2. Grass fed beef is healthier than grain fed beef
The food chain is a pretty neat little thing. When cows eat grass and other greens, they take in lots of omega-3 fatty acids that wind up in their body (and then in ours, when we eat beef). A recent study from the Union of Concerned Scientists found that grass fed steak has about twice as many omega-3s as a typical grain-fed steak.
And we know that omega-3s are great for so many things, including:
- Reduced inflammation
- Healthy hair, skin, nails, and digestion
- Reduce risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety
- Support healthy body weight
- And way too many more to list!
There’s also a specific fatty-acid called conjugated linoleic acid or CLA that’s found primarily in grass-fed beef and dairy. This potent nutrient has been shown to fight cancer and lower body fat, among many other benefits.
Grain fed cows are supplemented with vitamin E, but grass-fed cows will still have 4 times the amount (even without supplementation). You will also find more vitamin A, B vitamins Thiamin and Riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
3. Grass fed beef is better for the environment
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) pasture-raised animals use fewer energy-intensive inputs than grain fed animals. The way they are raised conserves soil, reduces erosion and water pollution, increases carbon sequestration, and preserves biodiversity and wildlife.
It’s also a much better life for a cow, to be allowed to roam a pasture and see daylight. Just watch this video of dairy cows seeing grass for the first time in 6 months and tell me it doesn’t give you all the feels!
4. Grass fed beef tastes better!
If you’ve tried grass fed beef, you already know the flavor is so much better than standard, grain-fed beef. It tastes like what beef is supposed to taste like, which is sort of hard to describe–it’s just better.
It also cooks much, much differently. Grass fed beef is naturally much lower in fat than conventional beef, and you have to keep that in mind while cooking. Personally, I think the best option is to get ground beef, because some cuts of grass fed beef can be tougher than what you might be used to if you’ve been eating conventional beef most of your life.
In my opinion, ground beef is the best option because it’s,
- Inexpensive
- Versatile
- Impossible to mess up
Concluding Thoughts on Grass Fed Beef
Learning about all of these things made the choice to buy grass fed beef an easy one for me. It makes me feel good about where I’m spending my money. And it makes me feel good about what I’m putting in my body.
As we’ve all heard before, you are what you eat. And in the words of food writer Michael Pollan, “You are what you eat eats.” That’s why I think if you’re gonna eat meat, eat quality, well-raised meat!
4 responses to “Why Buy Grass Fed Beef?”
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Have you ever thought about publishing an ebook or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog based upon on the same ideas you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my subscribers would enjoy your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.
that email didn’t work, would potentially be interested however.
Allyson you should also look into vitamin K2. Grass feed beef delivers it in spades, not corn feed beef. Some studies show vitamin K reduces cardiac events some where in the studies I have read over 57 percent reduction in cardiac problems. Hows that for a grass fed cow helping us out with our hearts in another way. Back to nature is the way to go. Love the blog keep up the great work
I am ALL ABOUT grass fed beef! Thanks for all the info 😊