The nutrient content of beef relies on what the cow is fed. “What you eat is what you are”. Initially, cattle were fed only on grass, but due to the demand in market and increased sale, cattle rearers feed cows with grains and other material. The cows are even ingested with antibiotics to plump them up. When consumers have beef, these antibiotics are consumed by them, which might bring health troubles.
Early spring, calves are born and fed on mothers’ milk and grass for about 7 to 9 months. Then they are conventionally moved to feedlots. Here; they are forcefully fattened, kept in bad living conditions, and not treated with care. They are looked at only as an item to be sold and not as animals. These cows are fed grains, corn, and Soya, which is an unnatural diet for cows.
Previously, grass-fed and grain-fed cattle were considered to be the same. With time, their differences have come to the forefront.
Let’s discuss a few differences between the two:
1] Nutrition: Grass-fed meat is more nutritious when compared with grain-fed meat. Both have good quantities of nutrients including iron, selenium, high-quality proteins, vitamin B12, B3, and B6 yet the grass-fed meat is superior with certain nutrients which include –
Vitamin A
Vitamin E (which protects the cell membrane from oxidation)
Antioxidants
2] Fatty acid composition: Grass-fed beef has comprehensively less fat than grain-fed beef, which implies it has lower calories. Grass-fed beef contains less monounsaturated fat, over six times omega 3 acids, and about twice the conjugated linoleic acid, which has several health benefits.
3] Better for the environment: Grass-fed meat is easier on the environment than grain-fed meat. Pasture raised cows use fewer fossil fuels than cows in feedlots. Cows fertilize and maintain the land they graze on, increasing the biodiversity of pasture ecosystems. It also improves the quality of run-off water.
4] Taste: It is a popular belief that grass-fed meat tastes better than grain-fed meat. It has a subtle earthly flavor to it, and is without risks of antibiotics and hormones.
Conclusion
Papa Earth grass fed beef obtained from grass-fed cows, who forage for their food is healthier compared to conventionally raised cow meat. The taste is highly influenced by where the meat comes from, what the cows were fed, the climate, and breed of animal, and so on. So choose your meat right!
