Grass Fed Beef Is The Healthier Alternative
When I made a decision to write this article concerning grass fed beef I thought I should probably do a little research first to make sure I had my facts straight. You see I’ve been eating grass fed beef for years and I know why I like it. But I thought I would see if there were any benefits to eating grain fed beef that I should know about and convey to you, too. As it turns out, I was right all along. If you don’t have a strong stomach you may not wish to finish reading this article concerning why grass feed beef is so much better for you.
Toward the end of the Nineteen Nineties farmers stopped sending their cattle to feedlots where they were fattened up on grains and soy and different additives and started keeping their animals at home, to grow at a natural pace, while grazing in the pasture. They do not feed them hormones or growth promoting additives. They only let nature take it’s course while the animals eat their natural diet – pasture grasses.
Because the cattle are allowed to roam free and eat what nature meant them to eat they lead stress free lives. Now that might not mean much but cattle who are under no stress also don’t require any antibiotics or other drugs. They’re just like you and me. We’re healthier when we’re not stressed.
It takes a lot more work on the farmer’s part to raise grass fed beef. This is a much more natural and nutritious diet for the cattle but the farmer has to take care of the soil and also the grass so that the plants are providing all the nutrients the cattle need. But really, all the farmer has to do is raise good grass and the cattle do the rest.
Now you may be wondering why all of this concern regarding the diet of cattle but keep in mind that everything they eat becomes part of the meat you get in the grocery store. When cattle are raised at feedlots their food contains hormones and additives that promote growth – unnatural chemicals that make them grow faster and leaner. They are also kept in pens which is very stressful for the animal which in turn winds up requiring the use of antibiotics and other medications. All of this can be passed on to us when we eat that grain fed beef.
On top of all of that, the grains that they are fed are not only designed to boost their growth but they’re also made to cut the cost of production. Which means that they are cheap. Studies have found municipal garbage, stale pastry, chicken feathers, candy and even beef that’s been trimmed from other cattle mixed into this feed. In effect, they are taking an animal that was supposed to be an herbivore and turning it into a carnivorous cannibal.
So now you recognize why I like grass fed beef. When you eat animals raised naturally, in a pasture, you are eating the healthiest food possible and you are helping your local small farmer, too.
Learn more about Grass fed beef. Stop by Dan Locavore’s site where you can find out all about Grass fed beef and what it can do for you.
