There’s nothing quite like biting into a juicy, tender steak – but how much do you know about the way this meat was cultivated before it hit your plate?
When it comes to great taste and texture, you can’t beat a cut of grass-fed beef or lamb. As well as the superior flavour, grass-fed meat has a variety of healthy advantages for your body that other types of meat just can’t compete with.
So, if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about with grass-fed lamb and beef, here are a few things you need to know.
Grain vs grass
Ever heard the saying, ‘you are what you eat’? Well, this applies to the meat that you consume as well.
Today, most cattle are raised on crowded feedlots eating a mixture of grain and corn-based food, designed to fatten up the animals more quickly. Sometimes, artificial drugs, hormones and antibiotics may be added to speed up the process.
All of these components end up affecting the meat that you pick up from your local market or butcher, resulting in a higher total fat content and a different combination of nutrients.
In contrast, grass-fed meat means the animals have been raised on a diet comprised of grass and other foraged food from the pastures where they roam.
As a result, these animals enjoy a better quality of life on the farm, and their meat is packed with plenty of health benefits.
Enjoy your meat guilt-free
Because of this diet, grass-fed meat has up to a third less total fat content per serving than grain-fed meat. However, it is full of the omega-3 fatty acids that are better for your heart.
Compared with other types of beef, grass-fed varieties also have up to twice as much conjugated Linoleic acid (CLA), which is the fatty acid thought to help reduce heart disease and even the risk of some cancers.
