Foodie Friday: Grass Fed vs Grain Fed

This is grain fed Country Fried Steak...no gravy though :(

Replacement Heifer at Sunset

Grain-fed beef is the most widely produced beef in the United States. Grain-fed cattle spend
most of their lives grazing pasture before moving to a feedlot for approximately four to six
months where they are fed a carefully balanced diet that usually includes grain. Feeding cattle
a grain-based ration for a small period of time helps improve meat quality and provide a more
tender and juicy product for consumers.
While cattle are in feedlots, owners and managers ensure they have a balanced diet; access to
clean water; room to grow and roam; and overall, humane treatment. To help improve their
productivity, grain-fed cattle may receive growth promotants that have been rigorously tested
and proven safe. (www.explorebeef.org)


Grass (Forage) Fed or Grass-Finished Beef




Grass-finished beef refers to how the cattle were managed prior
to harvest and specifically, to the type of diet the cattle consumed. While most cattle spend the
majority of their lives in pastures eating grass before moving to a feedlot for grain-finishing, grassfinished
beef cattle remain on a pasture and forage diet their entire lives.
In October 2007, USDA published standards that give beef farmers and ranchers specific
guidelines about the type of diet acceptable for cattle qualifying for the “grass (forage) fed”
marketing claim.
• Grass and forage should make up the animal’s diet for its entire lifetime, with the
exception of milk consumed prior to weaning.
• It is difficult to produce large quantities of grass-finished beef on a year-round
basis due to seasonality. For this reason, grass-finished beef can be more
expensive, and some grass-finished beef sold in the United States may be
imported from countries with more temperate climates.
Grass-finished beef may have a slightly different fatty acid profile than grain-fed beef; however,
the difference is not significant. Grass-finished beef can contain more conjugated lineoleic
acid (CLA) than other kinds of beef, but research has not determined whether this results in a
significant health benefit. Research also has shown that a 3.5-ounce serving of grass-finished beef
offers 15 milligrams more omega-3 than other kinds of beef; however, beef is not a primary source
of omega-3 fatty acids. (www.explorebeef.org)

I do want to point out that just because cattle are grass fed doesn't make them organic or natural this label just refers to the animal's diet!



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