Grass-Fed vs. Grain Fed

What's the difference?

How and what cows are fed over their lifetime can have a major effect on the nutrient composition and taste of the beef we eat.  In an effort to keep up with the increasing demand for beef in a growing population, cattle today are often fed grains to help fatten them up and get them to production facilities faster.  In contrast, our ancestors ate cattle that roamed free and ate grass.  Humans have been eating meat throughout history and our bodies are well equipped to digest and absorb the nutrients from meat.  Some of the traditional hunter-gatherer populations got most of their calories from meat and remained in good health.  This is possible because red meat, including conventional grain-fed meat, is incredibly nutritious.  The fact that beef is nutritious and tasty will not be argued here, but instead we will look at the difference in nutrition between grass-fed and grain-fed beef.

The different life-styles of Grass-fed and Grain-fed Cattle.

  Most cows' lives start in very similar ways.  The calves are born in the spring and start by drinking their mothers' milk and then slowly begin to roam and feed on pasture grasses, shrubs or any other edible plant.  This lasts for about 6 - 12 months, at which time "conventionally-raised" beef are moved to a feed lot.  At the feed lot, the cattle are fed grain-based feed (usually corn or soy-based) combined with hormones and antibotics to rapidly fatten them up and then they are sent off to the processing facility.  Compare this to grass-fed cattle, which remain on the pasture and eat various grasses for the remainder of their life, until they are taken to the processing facility. Our cattle are never given any growth hormone or antibotics.  They only eat grass and hay that we grow right here on our own land.  We know exactly what our animals eat.

What are the differences in the meat?  

Fatty Acids:

Grass-fed usually contains less total fat than grain-fed, which means fewer calories.  But the composition of the fatty acids is vastly different. 

Saturated and monounsaturated: 

Grass-fed beef has less saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids than grain-fed.  Monounsaturated fatty acids are considered a benefit to heart health. 

Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats: 

Grass-fed and grain-fed beef contain similar amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids. 

Omega-3 fatty acids: 

This is where grass-fed beef has a major difference, containing up to 5 times as much Omega-3 than grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef also has the correct ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids.  That is important for good health.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): 

Grass-fed beef contains about twice as much CLA as grain-fed beef.  CLA is associated with reduced body fat and some other beneficial effects. 

What are some other nutrient differences in beef? 

Both grass-fed and grain-fed beef are loaded with vitamins B12, B3, and B6.  Beef is also very rich in highly bioavailable Iron, Selenium and Zinc.  Meat also contains some amount of almost every nutrient humans need to survive.  Meat contains high quality protein and lesser-known nutrients like creatine and carnosine, which are helpful for muscles and the brain.  Grass-fed beef is even more nutritious than that:  

Vitamin A:  Grass-fed beef contains carotenoid precursors to Vitamin A, such as beta-carotene. 

Vitamin E:  This is an antioxidant that sits in your cell membranes and protects them from oxidation.  Grass-fed has more of this. 

Micronutrients:  Grass-fed beef also contains more Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorus, and Sodium. 

Beef in general is very nutritious and great tasting.  Grass-fed beef does have slightly more nutrients and is usually much leaner, but can be harder to find and is generally more expensive.  Grain-fed beef usually contains more monounsaturated fat (good for heart health), is more accessible, and generally considered more tender. 

Our beef is dry-aged before processing which intensifies the flavor and creates a more tender cut.  The choice is up to you as to which one better fits your needs. 

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The Health Benefits
of Grass Farming

                                 "Why Grassfed is Best!"

Author: Jo Johnson

Consumers have been led to believe that meat is meat is meat. In other words, no matter what an animal is fed, the nutritional value of its products remains the same. This is not true. An animal's diet can have a profound influence on the nutrient content of its products.

The difference between grainfed and grassfed animal products is dramatic.

First of all, grassfed products tend to be much lower in total fat than grainfed products. For example, a sirloin steak from a grassfed steer has about one half to one third the amount of fat as a similar cut from a grainfed steer.

In fact, grassfed meat has about the same amount of fat as skinless chicken or wild deer or elk.¹ When meat is this lean, it actually lowers your LDL cholesterol levels.²