There are a number of benefits to eating grass fed beef as opposed to grain fed beef, however the price can be a little prohibitive. Then there is the fact that grass fed cattle don’t produce as much of the marbling that a lot of people prefer. Still, you will definitely want to consider the benefits you can gain from eating a diet that includes grass fed beef. Therefore, you should try to understand the process that makes this meat so distinctly different.
For one thing, grass fed cattle consume higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids that help protect the hear from disease. The fat of grass fed beef is also typically more yellowish in color, due to the higher levels of beta carotene, which is another nutrient that contributes to our overall health and wellness. There are also higher amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin E and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) when compared to grain fed cattle. Clearly choosing meat that has been grass fed is a smart choice for your overall health and wellness. Add to this the lower fat and cholesterol levels, making grain fed meat several times healthier for human consumption compared to grain fed meat.
However, there is a challenge to being able to buy this kind of meat, since it isn’t as prevalent ordinary grain fed beef. There are several reasons for this, the most obvious being that raising cattle on grass and allowing them to roam freely isn’t as practical as raising cattle in a confined animal feedlot operation where there are several thousand animals in a single setting, as opposed to a few dozen. If you are trying to find where to buy grass fed beef, you can always go online and have them mail ordered to you. This is the most convenient method, especially if you live in the city, but it can add significantly to the final purchase price in terms of markups. You can try the local farmers market and look for a farmer where you can source grass fed beef directly. This will allow you to save significantly more on the purchase price. Be wary of farmers that use a combination of grain and grass, rather than all grass. There is nothing wrong with the meat from this sort of method, but if you are going to make such a compromise, at least make sure the price also reflects that compromise to you don’t end up spending more than you should.