Grain Fed vs. Grass Fed Beef....Pros and Cons

My friend Sandi contacted me this morning and asked me where she could buy grass fed beef in our area. Being the detective that I am, I quickly found her several markets and butcher shops selling grass fed beef. Then I decided to investigate the topic myself and to find out for myself why there is such a controversy over grass fed or grain fed beef. I did a bit of research, and here are my findings. Much of the information comes from John Robbins, who is an author and advocate of diet to help save your life and the world. His website is http://www.foodrevolution.org/ if you want to read more.

In the beginning, cows, sheep and other grazing animals ate grass exclusively. This is because they are endowed with the ability to convert grasses into food they can digest. They possess a rumen, a 45 gallon fermentation tank in which resident bacteria convert cellulose into protein and fats.

Traditionally, all beef was grass-fed beef, but in the United States, where most companies are only interested in the bottom line, most beef is feedlot beef. The reason? It's faster and so more profitable. Years ago, steers were four or five years old at slaughter. Today, they are 14 or 16 months. You can't take a beef calf from birth weight of 80 pounds to 1,200 pounds in a little more than a year on grass. It takes enormous quantities of corn, protein supplements, antibiotics and other drugs, including growth hormones.

Switching a cow from grass to grain is so disturbing to the animal's digestive system that it can kill the animal if not done gradually and if the animal is not continually fed antibiotics. The E. coli virus that was isolated in the 1980's is a result of grain fed cattle. The perfect conditions for microbes that can harm or kill us have been created.

Grass fed beef is actually healthier, lower in saturated fat, higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids, four times higher in Vitamin E than grain fed cattle.

As well as nutritional advantages, there are also decided environmental benefits to grass-fed beef. Grass fed beef consume less energy and it is far less polluting. With grass fed cattle, animal waste is returned to the earth to help fertilize the grass they eat rather than piling up in waste piles.

Finally, a happy steer is a healthy steer, and from a humanitarian perspective, grass fed animals are not forced to live in confinement. The animals are not forced to endure the miseries of factory farming.

The negative side of grass fed beef is of course, the cost. It is definitely more expensive, but for many of us interested in where our food comes from and how it is raised, the extra cost is worth it. There are several local markets that carry grass fed beef. Whole Foods and Henrys and HomeGrown Meat Market in La Jolla are just a few places where grass fed beef is available. There are also several farms in the area, including RC Livestock 760 723 9193 where you can buy the beef directly from the farm, but you must buy a half cow. Also, check out http://www.searocketbistro.com/. It is such an interesting website. It will show you where our local food comes from and how it gets here. I found it very informative.

So next time you go shopping, think about the beef you are buying. I'm all for saving money, but there are some times when you need to spend a little more to protect your health. This might be one of those times.