When is the Last Time You Thought About What is in Your Beef?
We’re sure the answer is recently because you’re reading this. Another question we’re sure you’ve thought about recently is the difference between grass and grain-finished beef.
The differences people come up with are usually the obvious ones – grass finished beef comes from cows that feed on grass and grain-finished beef comes from the ones that feed on grain, or grain-finished cows are given antibiotics and grass finished are not. We thought we’d go a little bit deeper and talk about what is in these types of beef that is good for our bodies.
The Similarities
With as much hype as there is about where grass-finished beef comes from versus grain-finished beef, sometimes we forget there are similarities. We prefer to raise grass-fed cows and produce grass-finished beef, but we know there are things that are nearly the same with both varieties. For one thing, grass and grain-finished beef have similar levels of saturated and monounsaturated fats. The levels they contain of Omega 6 fatty acids (which are highly beneficial in moderation), Vitamins B12, B3 and B6, and minerals Iron, Zinc, and Selenium are close, too. And if that is not enough, you can add Creatine and Carnosine to the list – two lesser known proteins that are important for your brain and muscles.
The Differences
The difference in nutritional value between grass grain-finished beef is simple. Grass-finished beef has higher overall nutritional value.
Why? Part of it has to do with the nutrients grass-finished beef has more of. Grass finished beef can have up to five times the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids that grain-finished beef has, and double the amount of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). One of the biggest things CLA helps with is reducing body fat, in case you were wondering, but there are other nutritional benefit to it. Grass-finished beef also has more Vitamin E, Iron, and Zinc than grain-finished beef.
The other reason grass-finished beef is better for you is that it contains Vitamin A, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Sodium. All are important for your health.
The Conclusion
You are getting some of what your body needs from grain-finished beef, but you may not be getting as many vitamins and nutrients as you could be. When you have the option, you should get grass-finished beef because it is better for you.
We, at Rafter W Ranch, want to make sure you receive better food options so that you and your family become the healthiest people you can be.