The Real Difference Between Grass-Fed And Grain-Fed Beef

Grass fed beef is not the same as grain fed, and you might be surprised at the difference.

Grocery stores can be confusing places, and the meat department is no different.

Fromfree-range chickento wild-caught salmon and everything in between, it can be hard to know which way to go.

Raw Beef Grocery Store

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When it comes to grass-fed beef versus grain-fed, knowing the difference is also about understanding the food chain.

Knowing which of these products are worth the investment will help you make the right decisionfor your dinner table.

Currently, About 80% of cattle in the United States are raised this way.

As cattle become older, they become less efficient in converting feed to muscle or meat.

Feeding grain to cattle also concentrates their lives into a smaller area which frees up land for other uses.

Raising beef this way,though more sustainable, is more expensive for the farmer.

An Alternative Worth Exploring

A grass-fed animal requires more time on feed to reach a target weight.

As a result,the meathas less marbling.

Grass-fed cattle are typically leaner with lower fat and calories.

American grass-fed beef consumers are health conscious, enjoy variety, and seek a high-quality product.

They associate grass-fed beef with being more natural and being of a higher quality.

Animals that are stressed release hormones into the meat which results in it being less tender.

What a cow eats can significantly affect the nutrientcomposition of its beef.

This is particularly evident when it comes to fatty acid composition.

The composition of fatty acidswithin the meatis also different.

It’s essentially fast food for cows.

And because it’s not their natural diet, many farmers rely on antibiotics to keep their herds healthy.

If yougive it a chance, you will experience what a cleaner version of beef tastes like.