Hereford Cattle by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

People say, “you are what you eat.” But an even truer statement is, “you are what you eat eats.” This is something we often don’t think about when picking out our meats. We tend to think that meat is meat no matter what the label.

Generally speaking, there are grass-fed cattle and grain-fed cattle. Cows that are grass-fed are left to live off the land until the time of slaughter, but grain-fed cows are fed corn or grain-based feeds to fatten them up faster. They are also given hormones and drugs to speed up the fattening process even more. Yuck!

This difference in diets of cows also affects the nutrient composition of their meat (and our food!) Grass-fed beef has fewer grams of fat, and since fat has 9 calories/gram, it has less total calories too. While the content of omega-6 fatty acids in each kind of beef is pretty similar, grass-fed beef has a much higher content of Omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Omega-3 and CLA are both known for their healthy effects on the heart. Omega-3 fatty acids are the “good fats” we hear about and can help lower chances of high blood pressure and heart attacks, and CLA is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

A common misconception is that Omega-6 fatty acids are less important or not as good for you as Omega-3’s. This isn’t true! We actually need Omega-6’s too, but the typical American gets way more than we need! (Our ratio of Omega-6:3 averages 20:1-15:1, when the AHA recommends 1:1 – 5:1). Grass-fed beef contains the Omega-6 we need, with a much better ratio of Omega-3 to balance it!

Grass-fed beef also contains more Vitamin A, Vitamin E, potassium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, and sodium than grain-fed beef. Vitamin E, like CLA, is a protector against the risk of heart diseases and cancer.

The reality of a much cleaner and more natural diet, combined with all of the great benefits, (especially for your heart!) makes the switch to grass-fed beef one decision we here at IndulgeInNutrition can wholeHEARTedly support!

So, what does your steak eat?