BENEFITS OF GRASS FED BEEF
LOWER IN FAT AND CALORIES
Grass fed beef is up to 2/3 lower in fat and calories than feedlot-raised beef. For example, a 6-ounce steak from a grass finished cow will have 100 fewer calories than the same steak from an animal that has been grain fed.
ANTIBIOTIC AND HORMONE FREE
To keep illness at a minimum, feedlot cows have to take massive doses of antibiotics.
When you eat grain fed beef you are consuming these antibiotics.
In addition to antibiotics, conventional meat is also laced with hormones. Hormones, such as RBST, make CAFO cows grow faster. This leads to more profit for factory farmers.
Cows raised in this manner reach full-size up to a year faster than grass fed cows. Studies show that humans can experience early puberty after consuming animals fed growth hormone for a long period of time.
Of course, our grass fed animals are always hormone and antibiotic-free!
BETTER TASTE
Another undeniable benefit of grass fed meat is that it tastes better. Grass fed meat has a subtle, earthy flavor, attributable to the varied diet of the cattle. The cattle's clean diet allows spices to come through clearer. The addition of a little butter makes a grass fed steak taste amazing!
HIGHER IN HEALTHY FATS
One of the most notable benefits of grass fed beef is that it has an ideal ratio of omegas. Meat from grass fed animals has 2 to 4 times more omega-3 fatty acid then meat from grain fed animals.
Grass fed beef has an omega 6:3 ratio of 0.16 to 1, while grain fed beef can often have an omega 6:3 ratio higher than 20:1.
DECREASED RISK OF HEART DISEASE
Omega-3's are good fat because they play a vital role in every cell in every system in your body. Of all the fats, omega-3's are the most heart-friendly.
People who have enough omega-3's in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or heart problems. They're also 50% less likely to suffer a heart attack.
Omega-3's are essential for your brain to operate at optimal levels as well. People with a diet rich in omega-3's are less likely to suffer from depression schizophrenia, ADD and Alzheimer's disease.
LESS CONTAMINATION BY BACTERIA
It's said that almost half of the US is meat and poultry contains the staph bacteria.
The constant feeding of antibiotics to feedlot cattle plays a large role in the spreading of staph, e-Coli and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In one study, 47% of meat and poultry examined contained S. aureus. More than half of those bacteria, 52%, were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics.
This was the first national assessment of antibiotic resistant S. aureus in the U.S. food supply. DNA testing suggested that the major source of contamination were the food animals themselves.
MORE VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Grass fed beef is one of the most nutrient dense proteins on earth. It has a high micronutrient profile, much higher than grain fed beef.
It is higher in B vitamins, vitamin D, and iron because of the varied diets of grass fed cattle.
If you have ever eaten grass fed beef, you may have noticed the yellowish tint of the fat from grass fed meat after it cooks. This indicates the presence of Carotenoids which are abundant in grass, especially quick growing green grass.
BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
In addition to the health benefits of grass fed meat, it is also easier on the environment.
Cattle raised in pastures use fewer fossil fuels than cows packed into feedlots. When they are grass fed, cows maintain and fertilize the land they graze on themselves. This leads to the increased biodiversity of pasture ecosystems and improved quality of run-off water.