Grass Fed/Finished Beef vs Grain: Your Thoughts?

[Jay585]

Is grass fed/grass finished beef worth the premium?

If it is, why?

I've seen mention of grass fed beef being better than the grain fed beef. Most prominent in memory being this article: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/power-foods

Grass-Fed Beef

Most of you probably know that the vast majority of beef in the US is corn-fed. Hell, they advertise it like it's a good thing: "We have corn-fed beef at $9.99 a pound!"

Well it's not a good thing.

Here's what I wrote about the subject in a previous article:

"Nowadays, most cattle spend an average of 60 to 120 days in feedlots where they're fattened up before being slaughtered. Obviously, most of us know that heavily marbled beef isn't exactly part of a healthy diet but there are other things going on that you need to know about. Feeding cattle corn instead of grass drastically upsets the balance of essential fatty acids found in their meat.

"The modern American diet is criminally short on Omega-3 fatty acids and these fatty acids, when consumed in optimal amounts, can potentially prevent coronary artery disease, hypertension, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and various inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Conversely, the American diet is high in Omega-6 fatty acids. While Omega-6 fatty acids are important to health, too, bad things happen when the ratio of these fatty acids is altered; namely, the aforementioned maladies.

"Many scientists guess that man evolved eating an Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 1 to 1 from both meat and plant sources. An acceptable modern day ratio would be approximately 3 to 1. Trouble is, corn-fed cattle, in various studies, have exhibited ratios of 21 to 1, 11 to 1, and 20 to 1. Not good. Grass-fed cattle, on the other hand, exhibit ratios of 3 or 4 to 1.

"Similarly, the meat from grass-fed cattle contains significantly higher amounts of CLA, which supposedly lowers the risk of cancer."

I hope one part of that sunk in, the part about grass-fed cattle having a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 3 or 4 to 1.

That makes grass-fed beef about as good a food as wild salmon. And we weight lifters shouldn't forget that grass-fed beef contains relatively large amounts of creatine. Maybe that's why we feel stronger when we eat it.

Lastly, grass-fed beef has a lot less saturated fat than corn-fed, and that in itself is noteworthy.

I've bought grass fed beef. Except for the price I don't notice much of a difference in taste or texture (though I'd need a blind taste test to tell for sure). One thing I've noticed is how much leaner grass fed beef is. So you're probably getting more protein per pound, but the reason you buy grass fed is for the fat, right? Well, that'd be my reason for it anyway...

So I am curious what you all think. If there's no difference, I'd rather buy the manager's special beef (that stuff that's 30% off because it's the last day of the sell-by date).

[SAWBONES]

As regards taste, I haven't been able to tell any real difference between grass-fed and corn-fed beef, even though I expected/hoped to do so, but then I'm no connoisseur (rather only a kind-of-sewer when it comes to things I like to eat).

Whether there's any important difference in nutrition, I have some doubt.

From my typically-cynical perspective, I suspect that some of this grass-fed vs. corn-fed distinction may be just hype, analogous to how the word "organic" is inappropriately and dishonestly applied to so many things today that it's become almost meaningless, more of a catch-term than a genuine descriptor. (Those few who are *ahem* "old enough" may recall how so many advertised retail items came to be denoted "Hi-Fi" back in the '50s, whether or not they had anything at all to do with sound reproduction.)

You're quite right about fat content. Fat enhances the flavor in nearly all red meats, and in most cuts.

Anyway, I no longer pay the disproportionately-higher prices for grass-fed organically-produced special-nice-good hipster-artisan beef. (Others may think, feel or believe differently, of course.)

[Duelist]

I prefer elk, when I can get it.

[greyghost]

I prefer elk, when I can get it.

All day, every day!

[octagon]

I've been doing a Keto diet since Oct 18 and am down 64lbs eating healthy fats including grass fed and sometimes grass finished beef. In researching the diet it is often recommended to eat grass fed and finished beef with various reasons given. Due to the cost and availability I did some research and found the reasons have some legitimacy but real science of how much it matters is less clear. Grass fed and finished is also almost always organic with no hormones and antibiotics used being the gold standard for quality meat that is lean and has the highest macro nutrients. It is also the most expensive and hardest to find. Choosing grass fed organic is cheaper and easier to find and appears to offer most of the same benefits. Regular non organic and almost exclusively grain fed beef is raised more quickly, in less than the healthiest conditions with hormone and antibiotics being used for profit reasons. Cheapest beef for sure but how much is ingested by the consumer by meal and over a lifetime is unclear. It is a choice for each consumer. As far as taste there is a difference but not a big difference in my opinion when comparing the same cut and fat content from one to another. Say 80/20 ground beef with one being grass fed/organic to regular grain fed. Grass fed is leaner by nature of the feeding. Bison is always grass fed but can be grain finished and has a great taste, just don't overcook it. YMMV

[DocGKR]

Love elk! Bison is good. We always go with organic grass fed, as much for how the animals are treated, as well as nutrition.

[LittleLebowski]

As part owner of a working cattle ranch in Wyoming, I have a bit of insight into how a large part of the American cattle industry feeds and treats their animals. So, I'm not at all buying the bit that the American beef industry mistreats their animals. Also, outside of a brief stay at a feed lot; guess what? Most American beef cattle are "free range, do subsist on nothing but natural grass and well water, and are carefully looked after by the owner.

[Yung]

Keto since February last year. I do prefer beef, even over pork when it comes to ribs. For steak, I really couldn't care how it was fed, as long as it's got a decent amount of fat in it. I want that marbling to be damn near stripes. Ribeye and chuckeye are my favorites.

Seeing people cut aside fat and gristle at restaurants is always faintly distressing.

[Norville]

Grass fed arguably has a better fat profile in terms of omega 6 to omega 3 content and linoleic acid but the subtlety I have forgotten.

CAFO beef lead a terrible existence on the feedlot, grass fed cows have one bad day.

The antibiotics and general crap fed to commercial beef probably isn’t for the best.

We buy a side of grass fed beef at a time, but supplement with corn/grain finished steaks for Saturday night.

Grass fed tends to taste a bit more like game than commercial beef to me.

[serialsolver]

I’m more worried about were does my beef come from. If the beef is raised in the USA I’m not too concerned but we really don’t know were the beef comes from.

https://civileats.com/2017/04/06/wil...t-great-again/

Also in the summer cattle are grass feed. The green grass provides the protein for the cattle. In the winter cattle are hay and grain feed. The grain provides the protein that the hay doesn’t have.


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