Grocery stores can be confusing places, and the meat department is no different. From free-range chicken to wild-caught salmon and everything in between, it can be hard to know which way to go. 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 decision for your dinner table.

 

Beef Industry Approaches

The traditional practice of the cattle industry to fatten livestock on a grain-based diet originated in the 1950s. 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. Grain has more energy than a forage diet of grass or hay, and allows cattle to maintain higher growth rates. Feeding grain to cattle also concentrates their lives into a smaller area which frees up land for other uses.1

Grass-fed beef, which is the product of cows who spend their whole lives grazing on grass, can cost more money per pound. The cost lies behind the fact that it takes longer for grass-fed cattle to reach their processing weight on an all-grass diet. 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 meat has 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. They also consider it to be better for the animal and their personal health.2 When raised in a feedlot, an animal experiences more stress. Animals that are stressed release hormones into the meat which results in it being less tender.

If you are interested in how an animal is raised before it is harvested, and consider the humane aspects of ranching to be important, choosing pasture-raised beef might be your best option. Not only that, but the sustainable farming methods surrounding grass-fed cattle, and a concern for natural resources, allow farmers to heal the land so future generations can use it.2

 

Grass Fed Nutritional Benefits

Grass-fed beef is higher in vitamins and antioxidants with double the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as grain-fed beef. What a cow eats can significantly affect the nutrient composition of its beef. This is particularly evident when it comes to fatty acid composition. Grass-fed beef usually contains less total fat than grain-fed beef, which means that gram for gram, grass-fed beef contains fewer calories. The composition of fatty acids within the meat is also different.

• Grass-fed beef contains much less monounsaturated fat than grain-fed beef.
• As far as omega-3 fatty acids are concerned, grass-fed is the clear winner. It contains up to five times more than grain-fed.
• Grass-fed beef contains about twice as much conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) as grain-fed beef. CLA has been shown to improve functions in the body and is also considered to possess anti-carcinogenic, anti-obese, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypertensive properties. This means CLA can be effective in preventing lifestyle diseases or metabolic syndromes.3

In short, there are some significant differences in the composition and amount of fat and nutritional benefits in grass and grain-fed beef.

 

Tasting The Difference

Most of the cattle industry starts their cows on grass and then transitions them to corn or grain to bulk them up quickly. 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. Other additives go along with a grain-fed diet, including hormones that aid in accelerating the growth of the animal. If you are used to buying this more mainstream, widely available beef version, you are already used to the taste.

As far as grass-fed beef is concerned, some report that the meat is slightly more gamey than the ordinary offering. This isn’t necessarily bad, and when we use the word “gamey”, we are not tripping into venison territory. If you give it a chance, you will experience what a cleaner version of beef tastes like. And when you consider all of the health benefits that go along with this choice, you may find it more appealing. source