If you go into a fancy restaurant you will often find that they spruik their most expensive meats as being grain fed or corn fed. The ironic thing is that it is actually the cheaper grass fed meats that are better for you.
It makes sense as well doesn't it? If you want the meat you eat to be healthy then you should ensure that the animal it is coming from is healthy. A cow has evolved to be perfectly suited to eat exactly what it has always eaten, grass. When a cow eats grains or corn it's body's composition changes, in particular the amount and the ratio of fat changes.
Every farmer knows that if you want to fatten up a cow you feed it grain so naturally grain and corn fed meats are fattier. Grain fed meats also have higher ratios of omega 6 fatty acids when compared to omega 3 fatty acids. We have all come to know that fish is very good for you because it is higher in the ‘good' Omega 3's, well as it turns out so is grass fed meat. High Omega 3 ratios have been shown to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, arthritis and even cancer.
But how do I know if it is grass fed? Well the simple answer is that often you won't. Some butchers though have noticed the trend towards grass fed meats and are starting to label better. Of course if you go to a farmers market you can ask the supplier yourself. And then there are the game meats that are becoming more and more popular. Meats like kangaroo and wild goat are not only grass fed, they are organic and very lean.
So remember it is not just what you eat that matters, what it ate can also have an impact.
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written by Gaby, October 13, 2009
written by Dr Brett Hill, October 13, 2009
Overcooked game meats can certainly be tough but well cooked game meats can be quite tender and have a lovely gamey flavor. I actually had a big dinner with the family on the weekend where we all ordered and shared our dishes. The hit of the night was a beautiful kangaroo with lemongrass that was VERY tender and delicious!
written by Interested in Health, November 10, 2009
