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There is a growing concern about the quality of food that we consume, because as the old adage goes, "we are what we eat." This cannot be stressed enough, which is why you should know what you eat and how to eat it.
Beef, being the third most widely consumed meat is high in several nutrients vital for helping you live a healthy lifestyle. Based on the diet cattle are fed, there are two kinds of beef: those fed a primarily grass based diet, and those fed a primarily grain based diet. Here we explore the differences between them.
Meat
There are significant differences between the two kinds of meat. Grain fed beef is well marbled and is lighter than its grass fed counter part. This makes for a tenderer, juicy cut than the grass fed version. The marbling also will provide natural flavor to the cut while cooking, which will make for a limited amount of adders needed to achieve the desired taste. Because of the significant difference in the tenderness of the two types, grass fed beef will require much more attention and things like oils, spices, etc. in order to make the taste comparable.
Price
Grass fed beef is significantly more expensive than grain fed beef. The primary reason for this is an increase in time for the cattle to reach the optimal harvest weight. The small amount of calories in grass compared to corn is the main factor that contributes to the extended "finishing time". This extra time in turn leads to increased feed and space requirements. Grass fed beef is also seasonal in many parts of the country. This is due in part to the harsh winters in many parts of the United States, which leads to a limited amount of grass and pasture space.
Nutrient content
Beef is a rich reservoir of minerals like iron, selenium, and zinc, in addition to vitamins and proteins, all of which are essential for contributing to a healthy lifestyle. Both grass fed and grain fed contain adequate amounts of each nutrient, which makes their nutrition information very similar.
Closing Thoughts
Grass fed beef did not start gaining popularity until recently, which is most likely because of the lack of quality in large chain stores. The low quality can be blamed on the cutthroat competition and the current culture that leads us to believe that food should be "cheap." The lack of quality then leads to a public perception that all beef fed grain are unhealthy, and essentially raised "incorrectly". This has negatively affected the thousands of small farms across the country who are still growing beef the conventional way, using the correct management practices required to produce the safe/quality beef that many consumers desire.
There are still plenty of opportunities to buy conventional beef, such as small grocery stores and farm direct. Buying from smaller stores/farms will not only provide you with the steakhouse quality beef you are craving, but it will also give you the satisfaction of helping a small family business.
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