Does the Type of Meat You're Eating Actually Matter?
You’ve likely seen a couple of different labels on your red meat when you’re shopping at the grocery store, USDA Choice, Natural, Organic, and Grass-Fed. So, what do these labels mean? Do they matter, and which one should I choose?!
The main label you want to look for is Grass-Fed AND Organic. But what does grass-fed even mean exactly? Don’t all cows eat grass?
Naturally, yes cows graze on grass and plants found in pastures, but over the years, farmers found they could fatten cows up much quicker by feeding them corn and grain. Since using this diet, it also eliminated the need for vast amounts of land so they resorted to massive factory farms where cows are packed together in tiny stalls and fed a grain feed. This method of raising cows is far cheaper and allowed farmers to produce more meat and faster. But, not without harmful impact. Since cows are not meant to consume a grain-heavy diet, this diet actually changes the makeup of the meat you're eating. Conventional meat from cows eating grains is much higher in inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acid and lower in Vitamin K-12, Vitamin E, and antioxidants. Cows raised on factory farms are also heavily pumped with antibiotics since the cattle are kept in such close quarters and basically living in their own feces. You can imagine the gross bacteria that live in that environment!
Need another reason to avoid conventional meat? It’s more harmful to the environment. Now, you can argue ALL red meat is bad for the environment but I’ll save that debate for another day. Since we don’t have an alternative to red meat (that provides the same nutritional value), grass-fed is the better option. With factory farms, it starts with the corn. Because farmers are producing cattle at such high rates, they need A LOT of corn to feed these cows. The intensive farming required to produce this much corn depletes the soil of nutrients as well as deep-rooted grass that would normally grow between corn crop seasons. Many of the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow the corn ends up in our water supply and the soil is eroding at rapid pace taking with it fertility and nutrients that nourish plants.
Okay, so with these facts so far, hopefully, I’ve got you convinced, but what about organic? That’s got to be better right? Unfortunately, no. Organic just means the feed consumed by the cows was organic or not raised with pesticides and it prohibits the use of growth hormones and antibiotics, but it does not address the quality and conditions of how the animals are raised and does not solve the issue of factory farming.
So what does grass-fed actually mean then? The label “grass-fed,” or “pasture-raised,” means the cows are raised in an open field for the entire lifetime and are able to consume their natural diet of grass and plants. The Organic Grass-Fed label ensures that the fields the cows graze on are not contaminated with pesticides and harmful fertilizers. Studies show grass-fed meat is higher in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin K-12 which may prevent weight gain, and beneficial nutrients. Additionally, studies have found that well-managed grazing systems can manage soil carbon levels and reduce the production of greenhouse gasses like methane. Grass-fed animals also play an important role in maintaining key nutrients in the soil through their poop, yes poop. Cow feces provides a natural fertilizer to the soil which eliminates the need for harmful artificial fertilizers.
So, in short, choose Organic Grass-Fed meat whenever possible, and even better if you can find it locally sourced! This was a lot of info and I’d love to dive even deeper into the sustainability piece so more to come!
Live. Life. Clean.
XO
Erica