Grass-Fed, Grain-Fed, and Grass-Finished:
Let’s talk beef!
Grass-Fed: Sounds Good, But…
The term grass-fed sounds all nice and natural, right? You picture a cow happily munching on lush green fields its whole life. But here’s the kicker, in Australia, a cow can be grass-fed and still end up in a grain-based feedlot before slaughter.
Yep, legally speaking, a cow only needs to have started on a grass diet to be called grass-fed. But if it spent its last few months eating grain to fatten up, it’s still labeled grass-fed. Sneaky, right?
Grain-Fed: Bulked Up for Profit
Grain-fed beef comes from cows that have been put on a grain-heavy diet (usually corn, wheat, barley, or soy) in feedlots for at least 60-100 days before slaughter.
Why? Because it makes them gain weight fast, producing that juicy marbled meat humans love.
But here’s the problem, cows aren’t designed to eat a diet loaded with grain. It messes with their digestion, can lead to bloating, and increases their reliance on antibiotics to keep them healthy in overcrowded feedlots.
Grass-Finished: The Real MVP
Grass-finished (also called 100% grass-fed) is the gold standard. This means the cow ate grass from start to finish, no grain, no feedlots, just good old-fashioned pasture grazing like nature intended.
Because of this, grass-finished beef has the best nutritional profile, more omega-3s, more vitamins and less of the inflammatory stuff that grain-fed beef tends to have. And bonus, it’s also better for the environment, since properly managed pasture grazing helps regenerate soil and reduce emissions.
https://www.sustainabletable.org.au/journal/beefhttps://theconsciousfarmer.com.au/grass-fed-v-grain-fed/https://www.9news.com.au/national/meat-labels-do-you-know-the-difference/