7 Reasons Grass-Fed Beef Benefits Are Overhyped...

stealthq

I've only noticed a difference when buying from local small-scale ranchers.

No idea what they're doing differently, but the meat is visibly leaner, has a different taste (not really better in my opinion - just different), and is annoying to cook because you have to use more precise techniques and even then it gets dried out way too easily. There's no room for error. Forget using their chuck roast to make pot roast in a slow cooker or oven. The long and low cook makes it like sawdust.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if it'd work well in my pressure cooker? Not that I'll risk wasting $15-20 to find out.

ReaderGirl3

JanetYellen wrote: »

ReaderGirl3 About the salmon.
I think I looked at it once and in the back it said product of China. Maybe that was years ago. Maybe I'm wrong.

Hmmm, now I'm curious-I thought it was from Alaska but now I want to double check I don't have any in the house right now, so next time I I go I'll take a look!

lemurcat12

JenHuedy wrote: »

Sassie_Lassie wrote: »

*shrugs* My husband and I got a quarter cow that was grass fed. I can honestly taste, see and smell the difference in that beef vs what you get at the store. The hamburgs we made from the ground beef are hands down the best I -- and anyone else who has eaten them -- have had.

I've found that processing makes a much bigger difference than feeding. I was raised in a farming family. The beef & pork we eat is raised the same as the beef & pork we send to the grocery store, but it tastes much better when it comes from a custom processor than a standard meat packing factory. Generally, custom processors/butchers hang the meat longer and take a few other steps that affect the flavor and tenderness of beef.

Here's an argument that it's likely more about differences in the quality of the meat used:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/the-burger-lab-which-makes-a-better-burger-grass-fed-or-grain.html

I buy grass-fed (the main difference I notice is that it's leaner), and I do it more because I want to support small local farms and what I consider the ethical treatment of the animal (although, yes, I think it's okay to eat it). The farm I buy from happens to grass feed. I don't think the health difference is significant (and any calorie advantage from leaner beef is likely offset by the fattier pork chops, although the taste difference for pork from the local farm is much more significant so worth the extra calories).

RWClary

J72FIT wrote: »

LazSommer wrote: »

I just grab what's on sale breh

I admit, I got caught up in the hype. No more...

Same here.
It's a sales pitch to justify sub-par products, and after paying too much for both meats and veggies, like you, I said "no more!"
I have enough to worry about without manufacturing food drama.

Nikion901

Years ago my dad used to raise the meat our family ate and his cattle were usually a big success. The times they weren't it was because of the breed of cow/bull he used. The heifers always finished off real nicely but the Black Angus would get fatty if they had the same grain formula for the finishing. But the taste of the meat was better than what came from the grocery store. His meat was so tasty that friends would buy calfs and pay him to raise them up and finish them off. But believe me, it was expensive meat!

Tweaking_Time

I buy in bulk whatever is on sale...vacuum pack it for later...fire up the smoker...hickory apple smoke...mmmmm

Wait - oh yeah - Grass fed is too damned expensive for virtually no difference except hype.

J72FIT

drwilseyjr wrote: »

While they may be overhyped, the article discounts the fact that it does have a better fat profile and more nutrient rich...even though they admit it's true. Even if it's minuscule, it exists.

I buy local or eat meat I've hunted/got from other hunters as much as possible. It tastes better, imo. And it's no harder to cook if you know how to cook meat/lean meat.

I also find some of the things stated in this article to be a bit ridiculous. Such as the "well, corn is descended from a grass, so it's grass" argument, which is utterly stupid. Might as well just call everything a plant and have no differentiating since it all descended from the same beginning and ignore the botanical/nutritional differences between different plants. It's like saying dogs are wolves while ignoring the biological differences.

Point being it is so minuscule to the point of being inconsequential...

J72FIT

Also want to point out, I am in no way criticizing anyone who decides to eat grass-fed meat. If you like it, and you believe it makes a difference for you then you should absolutely choose it. For me at this point, it is not. But again, that's just me...

J72FIT

lemurcat12 wrote: »

JenHuedy wrote: »

Sassie_Lassie wrote: »

*shrugs* My husband and I got a quarter cow that was grass fed. I can honestly taste, see and smell the difference in that beef vs what you get at the store. The hamburgs we made from the ground beef are hands down the best I -- and anyone else who has eaten them -- have had.

I've found that processing makes a much bigger difference than feeding. I was raised in a farming family. The beef & pork we eat is raised the same as the beef & pork we send to the grocery store, but it tastes much better when it comes from a custom processor than a standard meat packing factory. Generally, custom processors/butchers hang the meat longer and take a few other steps that affect the flavor and tenderness of beef.

Here's an argument that it's likely more about differences in the quality of the meat used:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/the-burger-lab-which-makes-a-better-burger-grass-fed-or-grain.html

I buy grass-fed (the main difference I notice is that it's leaner), and I do it more because I want to support small local farms and what I consider the ethical treatment of the animal (although, yes, I think it's okay to eat it). The farm I buy from happens to grass feed. I don't think the health difference is significant (and any calorie advantage from leaner beef is likely offset by the fattier pork chops, although the taste difference for pork from the local farm is much more significant so worth the extra calories).

The bolded is the only reason I would buy it. Sadly, I don't have a local farm near me...

pzarnosky

JanetYellen wrote: »

I'm poor. I don't have a choice.
Now, show me an article on farm raised salmon being ok.
That wild caught alaskan stuff is almost $9 a pound.
Killing me.

I'm almost done with a grueling Clinical Nutrition class at my university and we've actually talked about this. In an attempt to make fish farming more sustainable they're being fed a more plant based diet as opposed to other fish. Because the fish aren't receiving the appropriate nutrition that their body's require, they themselves aren't able to synthesize EPA and DHA (omega-3's) in the amounts that they should which means the farm raised salmon generally have less than wild caught. It's up to you to determine whether or not the amount is enough to make up the cost difference..

Rage_Phish

drwilseyjr wrote: »

As an ancestor of the teosinte plant, corn is technically a type of grass. The difference between teosinte and maize (corn) is about 5 genes.

Chimps and bonobos share 99% of genetic makeup with us, homo sapiens. 5 genes is not "basically the same" and to quote this as if five genes is nothing is scientifically inept. And genetic makeup is completely different then DNA build. Yes, teosinte may only have five different genes than maize, but the DNA build/order is not the same, either.

lol

drwilseyjr

Rage_Phish wrote: »

drwilseyjr wrote: »

As an ancestor of the teosinte plant, corn is technically a type of grass. The difference between teosinte and maize (corn) is about 5 genes.

Chimps and bonobos share 99% of genetic makeup with us, homo sapiens. 5 genes is not "basically the same" and to quote this as if five genes is nothing is scientifically inept. And genetic makeup is completely different then DNA build. Yes, teosinte may only have five different genes than maize, but the DNA build/order is not the same, either.

lol

@Rage_Phish Care to elaborate?

J72FIT

pzarnosky wrote: »

JanetYellen wrote: »

I'm poor. I don't have a choice.
Now, show me an article on farm raised salmon being ok.
That wild caught alaskan stuff is almost $9 a pound.
Killing me.

I'm almost done with a grueling Clinical Nutrition class at my university and we've actually talked about this. In an attempt to make fish farming more sustainable they're being fed a more plant based diet as opposed to other fish. Because the fish aren't receiving the appropriate nutrition that their body's require, they themselves aren't able to synthesize EPA and DHA (omega-3's) in the amounts that they should which means the farm raised salmon generally have less than wild caught. It's up to you to determine whether or not the amount is enough to make up the cost difference..

and if it's that big a deal, take a fish oil supplement...