Why Grass Fed Meat Is Better Than Grain Fed?
Diet
Posted on February 13, 2014 by Jenny Cromack
Recently more than ever people have been concerned about what they are eating. The recent horse meat incident caused uproar and led to people being concerned about the meat they eat. Society is on board with free range chicken eggs and frowns upon battery chicken farms which is not only beneficial for the chicken’s welfare but also offers a higher quality standard of egg. A lot of my personal training clients ask me about what kind of meat that they should be eating and some are shocked to find out why grass fed meat is better than grain fed.
The classic thought of “you are what you eat” applies not only to us humans but is just as important to animals. There are some significant differences in the quality of meat from grass fed and grain fed animals.
I’m going to discuss the benefits of consuming grass fed meat over grain fed meat.
1) Happier Animals
The most obvious point to make is that all the animals that are grass fed have a much better quality of life roaming around in the field munching on grass and taking in the fresh air I feel much happier eating meat from an animal that wasn’t stuck in a confined space not seeing daylight and eating grain. This alone is a significant reason alone to eat grass fed meat over grain fed meat.
2) Omega-3 and Omega-6
Most current research suggests that beef contains consistent levels of omega-6 regardless of diet so if you can’t afford grass fed meat this is positive however significantly higher levels of omega 3 is found in animals that have been grass fed. Looking at beef depending on the breed of cow, those fed grass contain between 2 and 5 times more omega 3 than those fed grain.
3) Antioxidants, Minerals and Vitamins
Consuming meat that is grass fed will ensue that you get considerably more antioxidants , vitamins and minerals .
Carotenoids such as beta-carotene are precursors to Vitamin A and are found in pigments in plants. Grain fed meat does not have access to this vitamin unlike grass fed animals that have significant amounts in their tissues.
Grass-fed animals also contain significantly more antioxidants than gain fed meat such as Vitamin E , Glutathione and catalase all of which play a significant role in protecting our cells from oxidation especially delicate fats in the cell membrane such as omega-3 and omega-6
Grass fed meat also contains much higher levels of nutrients than grain fed meat. With much higher levels of iron, zinc sodium and potassium it makes much more sense to put grass fed meat into your body.
4) The natural factor
Call me paranoid but I want to know that the animals whose meat I’m eating have been fed on natural products not pumped full of corn and steroids to maximize the meat potential. For meat to be sold as grass fed they have to pass a number of regulations which ensure the meat has only organic qualities.
5) The Cost
Buying meat from your local butcher to me is the only option. The quality of meat I have bought from the local supermarket does not even compare in the taste test. I appreciate people may believe going to the butcher is slightly more expensive but I personally believe value for money needs to be taken into account.
Buying the meat from by local butcher vs my local supermarket costs about 30p extra per chicken breast however:
1) The meat doesn’t shrink in the pan
2) Its less fatty
3) Its tastier
4) Less chewy
5) I know its locally sourced
6) They animal has been grain fed
7) I know I’m getting much higher levels and quality of nutrients
Not bad for that little bit extra. If you buy in bulk it also turns out to be much cheaper.
So you are what you eat and unless you’re a vegi or vegan you are what the animal eats. By opting for grass fed meat over grain fed meat you are ensuring that your body is getting the nest possible nutrients from your meat resulting in getting the best gains for your body and also making for happier animals. Support your local butcher and buy local grass fed British meat!
1)Nutritional Journal – A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass- fed and gain-fed beef- Cynthia A Daley, Amber Abbott
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/
2) Impact of grass/forage feeding versus grain finishing on beef nutrients and sensory quality: the U.S. experience.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24018274