8 Reasons You Should Eat Grass-Fed Meat and Eggs
I gave up red meat when I was in my 30s. Since my grandparents had a history of colon cancer I thought that giving up red meat made a lot of sense, so I stopped eating it for 18 years. But this year I started eating red meat from time to time. Why? Because a friend’s new book, The Vegetarian Myth, helped change my entire view on nutrition. Here’s what I discovered:
1. Grass-fed products can often be purchased from nearby farms (see EatWild for a directory of grass-fed farms in the United States and Canada), therefore you are supporting local agriculture and farmers.
2. If you are going to eat meat, grass-fed meat is healthier for you. It is lower in fat (and therefore lower in calories) and contains two to four times more Omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain-fed animals. Omega-3s are called “good fats” because they play a vital role in your body. People with a diet rich in Omega-3s are less likely to suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity), or Alzheimer’s disease. Eggs from grass-fed hens are much higher in Vitamin D. Here is a lot more information on the nutritional benefits of grass-fed food.
3. Vegetarians or vegans who depend on protein sources like soy may be taking a risk with their health. The dangers of eating large amounts of soy have been well documented.
4. Our bodies require 22 amino acids in a specific pattern to make human protein. The body can produce 14 of these 22 amino acids. The other eight are called essential amino acids because they must be supplied in the diet. Red meat from cattle is a complete-protein food, meaning meat provides all 22 amino acids that our bodies need.
5. Because grass-fed beef often can be purchased locally, you are cutting down on the fossil fuel used to ship food long distances.
6. It is not natural for cattle to eat grain. Therefore animals fattened on feedlots get sick. Then they are given antibiotics. The whole process is a mess.
7. Grazing is better for the soil than growing grain.
8. When you eat products from cattle and dairy cows that have been raised on pasture all of their lives, there is no possibility that they consumed feed that contained any animal tissue, virtually eliminating the possibility of mad cow disease.
I’m not promoting eating meat 7 times per week, nor am I saying that grass-fed meat is for everyone (for one thing, it costs more than supermarket meat), but I wanted to present these facts for your, um, consumption.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Grass-fed beef has a different flavor than grain-fed beef, too. Sadly, most Americans have never had grass-fed beef and so are sometimes put off by the difference, but it should be noted that grass-fed is what beef *should* taste like. I like the taste, personally, but have to admit to a preference for the flavor of grain-fed because that’s what we grow up eating in America.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Around 25 years ago you could get grass-bed at our local supermarket, but they stopped selling it pretty quickly too. I think it does taste better and is definitely healthier.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Oh and I have to say that because of my thyroid condition I have to limit my soy intake, so soy is definitely not the solution to everything.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Just read an article on the dangers of too much soy. I was surprised.
I eat red meat a couple times a month. Honestly, I don’t know if I am eating grain-fed or grass-fed.
July 7th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Joan, I was surprised, too, when I first learned about soy. I used to guzzle it. If you don’t know if you are eating grain-fed or grass-fed, you are likely having grain-fed as grass-fed is sometimes hard to find!
July 8th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Thanks for you insightful column on grass-fed beef. I grew up on a dairy farm and on grass-fed beef (usually a bull specially raised for beef). The taste is a little different, but wonderful.
Let me clear up a few misconceptions, however. Even cattle that are raised on pasture need supplemental grain in the winter, sometimes home-grown corn/oats, sometimes purchased grains, often both. So the “possibility” of contamination, although minute, still is there.
I doubt it’s the grain that makes cattle in feedlots sick–it’s the crowding (quick spread of disease) and possibly the lack of exercise. They are a lot like people that way.
As for the soil–proper farming techniques do not harm the soil. Overgrazing can.
I now limit my red meat intake, relying on a variety of legumes, dairy products and veggies for most of my protein. But do love beef and eat it in moderation.
Thanks for debunking the beef-is-bad myth!
July 8th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I’ve limited my meat consumption and rarely purchase it at a supermarket. The CSA farm movement continues to grow and many have a poultry or meat supplier. True it is pricier, yet, you know who grew it, where and how. However, the comparative could be, that the best cuts in a supermarket are also expensive.
Meat stretches – as does poultry when we eat smaller portions and balance our meals with veggies, salad, soup or bread.
Time spent on prep can be assigned to the weekend. Leftovers on the meat or poultry were once a way of life when I was growing up (days of the Sunday roast). Consider, that this may balance out or equal out to more free time during the week.
In closing, grass fed makes sense as it is natural. I sense this is something I should read up on and become more informed.
July 10th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
[...] The Boomer Chronicles gives you 8 reasons to eat grass-fed meat and eggs. [...]
October 29th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Wonderful article! I work with La Cense Beef. They are a grass fed beef
co. There are so many wonderful advantages to eating all natural beef.