Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef
When buying beef, do you ask where or how it was raised, and how it was fed? Because “you are what you eat” applies to cows, too. The way cows are raised, and fed can influence the nutrient composition and taste of their beef.
Throughout most of history, cattle roamed free and ate grass (cellulose). However, today in places where beef is mass-produced, such as in the United States, cattle are usually fed grain, primarily corn and soy. In many other countries, however, grass-fed beef is common.
But it’s not as simple as one or the other. In fact, the term “grass-fed” isn’t clearly defined, and different feeding practices are complicated and varied. Grass-fed beef in Australia may not be directly comparable to U.S. products, and grass-fed beef isn’t necessarily pasture-raised; not all grass-fed cows graze outdoors.
Keeping that in mind, grass-fed cows eat primarily grass, while grain-fed cows eat primarily corn and soy during the latter part of their lives. To minimize muscle, which can be tougher, the cows are generally kept in small, confined spaces. And to maximize growth, they are often given antibiotics and growth hormones.
Is Grass-Fed Beef Better?
Don’t misunderstand. Both grain- and grass-fed beef are highly concentrated sources of nutrients. Beef is loaded with vitamin B12, B3, and B6. It’s also rich in highly bioavailable iron, selenium, and zinc. Actually, meat contains almost every nutrient you need to survive.
Cows are naturally grazing herd animals. Conventionally raised beef comes from cows who spend their lives in crowded conditions, stressed-out and fed additives. Grass-fed cows offer a safer, healthier alternative. There are many benefits to switching to meat from grass-fed animals.
Lower in Fat & Calories: Grass-fed beef is up to 2/3 lower in fat and calories than feedlot-raised beef. So, if you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to grass-fed beef will save you over 17,000 calories over the course of a full year. That’s six easy pounds!
Antibiotic & Hormone Free: To keep illnesses down, feedlot cows are fed antibiotics and, to make them mature faster (more turnover = more profits), growth hormones. When you eat grain fed beef, you’re consuming those additives. Studies show that humans can experience early puberty after consuming animals fed growth hormone for a long period of time.
Tastes Better: Another difference between grain-fed and grass-fed meat is the taste. Grass-fed meat has a subtle, earthy flavor, attributable to the varied diet of the cows. The cow'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: Meat from grass-fed animals has 2 to 4 times more omega-3 fatty acid then meat from grain fed animals.
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. 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.
May Help Fight Cancer: Beef products raised on grass and forage alone contain from 3 to 5 times more of another type of good fat called Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) than those raised conventionally. CLA may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer.
Less Contamination by Staph & Other 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.
More Vitamins & Minerals: Grass-fed beef contains high quality protein and various lesser-known nutrients, such as creatine and carnosine, both very important for your muscles and brain. But compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef contains higher amounts of vitamin A, vitamin E and other antioxidants.
Environmentally Better: Cows 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.
Peace of Mind: Knowing that the food you are putting in yours and your children's bodies is free from antibiotics, hormones and other harmful substances is priceless.
“Grass-Fed” Doesn’t Automatically Mean a Cow Grazing in a Pasture.
Grass-fed beef sounds like a lovely idea. A bucolic scene with contented cattle grazing on green pastures, producing meat that is better for our health and the environment. Well, not necessarily!
And because you’ll spend more on grass-fed beef, you should know how to decipher the different beef labels to determine what you’re getting, and how to prepare it for the best results.
“Grass-fed” means that cows were grass-fed for most of their lives. After about 10 months, “grass finished” cows will continue on a grass or pasture diet, while conventionally raised cows will be fed grain for the next four months or so. Some labels will say things such as “more than 80 percent grass-fed diet.” This means that the animal’s diet was switched to grain or included some grain. And “grass fed” or “grass finished” only tells you what the animal was fed. It doesn’t tell you anything about whether the animal roamed outside or whether antibiotics or hormones were added to its feed.
“Pasture raised” means the cows spent some time outside, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they were grass finished. And their diets could include some grains, so they aren’t necessarily 100 percent grass fed.
To muddy the waters even more, there are now grass feedlots, where cows are fed grass or grass pellets indoors. So yes, a cow might be “grass finished” but not pasture raised.
“Natural” is practically meaningless. Beef can be labeled as “natural” if no artificial ingredients or colors have been added. This label doesn’t reveal anything about what the cow was fed or how it was raised.
And “grass-finished” doesn’t necessarily mean organic. The addition of hormones or antibiotics isn’t permitted in organic beef but can be in grass-fed beef. Conversely, organic beef isn’t necessarily grass fed; the cows may have been finished on organic grain.
When all is said and done…
In the United States, grass-fed beef is certainly more expensive. Also, if you don’t live close to a farmer’s market or Whole Foods, it may not be convenient to buy grass-fed beef.
As I mentioned before, all beef is very nutritious and can be part of a healthy diet. The choice, then, comes down to what you like and how you think. The most important thing is to eat real food. If you’d like to take this idea a step further, eat only real food that eats real food. After all, grasses and herbs are a more natural diet for cows than corn and soy. But ultimately, the choice depends on your preferences and values.
Eat smart, stay well!