Grain Fed Meat page

[Bosnic]

For those of us that can't afford grass-fed, is it really a problem?

I've been seeing posts where people say that they purposely buy low-fat products when they can't afford grass-fed, because they want to avoid all of the "toxins" in the fat of the animals.

I buy conventional chicken (skin on!), beef, pork, and lard. Is there any evidence that I would be better off only eating low-fat meat? This seems like a bunch of hooey to me.

[Drumroll]

There is PLENTY of evidence. Google is your friend. Also, the blog here has a lot of great info.

Does this mean that you should immediately switch over, that you should immediately "see the light"? Nah. You won't kill yourself eating that stuff. It's just probably not optimal. But if your budget won't allow the switch, it won't allow it. I wouldn't stress.

On the other hand, the best way to feel the difference is to make the switch for say, maybe one week only (surely you can afford a small trial period), and see of you don't feel better.

[ChocoTaco369]

Perspective:

Look at the crap the average American eats. All the bread, chips, candy, soda, alcohol, hydrogenated oils and rancid vegetable oils, lunchmeats, fake cheeses, cake, cookies...paired with the stress of a 40+ hour workweek, little to no exposure to sunshine and fresh air and little exercise and it STILL takes 70+ years for all this crap to kill you. You are eliminating almost all of this by "going Primal."

I see little issue with grain fed meat in the grand scheme of things. Compared to all the horrible things modern humans do, and it still takes decades to catch up with us, this is a drop in the bucket. Eliminate the bad stuff - grains, legumes, polyunsaturated refined vegetable oils, refined sugars and chemical/preservatives/thickeners/additive - and you are so far ahead of the game you can enjoy your cheap corn fed steak. That's what I do and I don't think it's an issue. If you have the money, buy the good stuff, if not do the best you can. Giant has angus bottom round roast buy one get one free this week. I'll be stopping by.

[Wildrose]

My perspective is, it isn't ideal. The ratios of omega 3's to omega 6's in the meat and fat will be off. HOWEVER... chicken and beef isn't a good source of omega-3s anyway. And eating the beef or chicken fed grains is a LOT better than eating the grains. Sort of a meat filter effect. If I were you I wouldn't stress or try to go low fat, I'd just make sure to get plenty of fish. Especially the ones rich in omega-3s.

[KWM]

Every once in a while my budget requires grass-fed beef / chicken instead of free range. I usually eat grass fed and think there's a difference, but haven't "measured" anything. I DO agree with your compromise solution -- I do NOT eat the fat from this meat. Again, I'm fortunate to be able to occasionally get grass-fed fat trimmed from animals as they're butchered. I render that down for the "lean times." I also eat a lot of coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.

[yodiewan]

I agree with the posts so far. I don't think there is a huge difference in health outcomes from eating grain-fed versus grass-fed.

To me, the more important issues are the sustainability, welfare (animal and human), and food safety issues. Reading "Fast Food Nation" was what finally put me over the edge and made me buy a half a cow from a grassfed farm. The way the workers in the big meat processing plants are treated is atrocious.

[Drumroll]

Every once in a while my budget requires grass-fed beef / chicken instead of free range. I usually eat grass fed and think there's a difference, but haven't "measured" anything. I DO agree with your compromise solution -- I do NOT eat the fat from this meat. Again, I'm fortunate to be able to occasionally get grass-fed fat trimmed from animals as they're butchered. I render that down for the "lean times." I also eat a lot of coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.

Uh, grass-fed is the good stuff. With organic standards, "free range", what with food labeling standards in most localities might simply mean that the animal eats an industrial diet but has five feet of "dirt lot" to roam around on.

[john_e_turner_ii]

Just try to get the best meats you can afford. Like Choco said, eliminate the bad stuff. Eat real fruits and veggies, cut out processed foods, even "primal/paleo" processed foods, and you will do fine.