The Benefits of Grass Fed Meat
What are the benefits of grass fed meat?
Grass fed or grain fed? Do we really know what we are eating when it comes to meat, poultry, eggs and dairy? The answer for most people is almost certainly no. And the answer to your next question, is grass fed is better.
Here I’ll explain why.
Grass fed organic animals produce products that;
1. Have higher levels of ‘good’ omega-3 fats (two to four times the amount in grain fed animals) and fewer ‘bad’ fats.
2. Are generally slightly lower in calories, gram for gram.
3. Are richer in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than grain fed ones.
4. Do not contain traces of hormones, antibiotics or other drugs.
5. Are the richest known source of CLA (three to five times that of grain fed animals), another type of good fat. CLA is thought to be one of our most potent defences against cancer.
6. Delivers more anti-ageing and anti-cancerous vitamin E – four times as much in grass fed beef as in grain fed.
7. Is much less likely to be contaminated by diseases; Staphylococcus Aureus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and Enterococcus, due to no overcrowding indoors that you find in densely stocked industrial farms.
These bacteria are also becoming resistant to antibiotics, which are used so routinely in farming.
8. Since the 1960’s large scale producers of non-organic poultry feed small amounts of arsenic to speed up the growth of their birds.
9. Did you know that in addition to corn and soy, some animals are fed a mix of mean sterilized city rubbish, sweets, bubble gum, floor sweepings from plants that manufacture animal food, bread and cakes, chocolate, potato wastes and pasta.
10. Are tastier and more tender, since the relaxed and high quality way of life appears to improve meat taste and texture.
11. Organic, grass fed cows that are allowed to rest and graze produce milk which is much more nutritious than the vitamin-depleted milk from cows forced to produce milk in high quantities.
Should I really make the effort to eat only grass fed meat?
In addition, people who are exposed to pesticides have much higher rates of cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and nervous system dysfunction amongst other things.
The bottom line?
Go grass fed, go organic, go to your butcher, local farmer’s market, farm shops, or make life really easy and get food delivered from reputable box schemes – the ones that supply vegetable boxes will often also sell eggs, dairy and meat.
Isn’t that sort of produce more expensive?
Not necessarily. Eat in season (meat goes in seasons just fruit and vegetables), buy cheaper cuts and most of all, don’t waste a mouthful – buying quality food and eating is always going to be far cheaper than buying cheap food and throwing lots of leftovers and forgotten fridge items in the bin.
Ask questions, read labels, if you don’t like what you see, don’t buy it.
Be kinder to everyone – to the animals, to the planet, to the farmers and to yourself. And grass fed organic produce is a great way to do this.