Grass fed organic beef vs. regular beef?

I always get organic if I can find it. Regular stuff is hard to avoid if you choose to eat out at restaurants or fast food places.

They both taste the same

Lies...assuming you are talking about grass-FINISHED and not just grass-FED. *All* beef is grass-fed through most of its life. The difference is (at least in the US) that conventional beef is finished on grain for X months whereas grass-finished beef is finished on, well, yeah, grass.

There is a definite difference in the finished product...and many people actually prefer the grain-finished (although I believe that grass-finished is healthier if for no other reason than it avoids the commercial feedlot environment for the last few months of the cattle's life.)

ETA: Oh, and IMHO, organic means almost nothing when it comes to beef.

They both taste the same

Lies...assuming you are talking about grass-FINISHED and not just grass-FED. *All* beef is grass-fed through most of its life. The difference is (at least in the US) that conventional beef is finished on grain for X months whereas grass-finished beef is finished on, well, yeah, grass.

There is a definite difference in the finished product...and many people actually prefer the grain-finished (although I believe that grass-finished is healthier if for no other reason than it avoids the commercial feedlot environment for the last few months of the cattle's life.)

ETA: Oh, and IMHO, organic means almost nothing when it comes to beef.

What about the grain-finished gluten intolerant beef? Does that taste differently?

They both taste the same

There's a difference in taste. Not that noticeable until you don't eat the grain fed kind for a few years. A mouthwatering, grain fed steak is so dang tasty in comparison.

But to get to the heart of it, the Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio is different between the meats. Grass fed generally has a 2:1 ratio of Omega 3 over Omega 6, and Grain fed has a 2:1 Omega 6 over Omega 3. Both are essential fats, but too much Omega 6 can lead to all sorts of health problems.

It isn't really a big issue unless you eat a lot of other foods high in Omega 6, like cooking oils, fatty commercial salad dressings, processed fatty foods, or fried foods.

Don't worry about the differences in beef because it won't have that much of an impact. As for the hormones, negligible in the overall scheme of things. You might have a greater impact with the naturally occurring estrogen-like chemicals in soy.

If you have to eat beef, go with organic grass fed always. Hormones and antibiotics are no good. And cows aren't meant to be eating corn.

They both taste the same

There's a difference in taste. Not that noticeable until you don't eat the grain fed kind for a few years. A mouthwatering, grain fed steak is so dang tasty in comparison.

But to get to the heart of it, the Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio is different between the meats. Grass fed generally has a 2:1 ratio of Omega 3 over Omega 6, and Grain fed has a 2:1 Omega 6 over Omega 3. Both are essential fats, but too much Omega 6 can lead to all sorts of health problems.

It isn't really a big issue unless you eat a lot of other foods high in Omega 6, like cooking oils, fatty commercial salad dressings, processed fatty foods, or fried foods.

Don't worry about the differences in beef because it won't have that much of an impact. As for the hormones, negligible in the overall scheme of things. You might have a greater impact with the naturally occurring estrogen-like chemicals in soy.

^This. Eat what you like.

I'm not a huge meat eater but I do like it once in a while. I usually eat tofu, fish, or chicken/turkey. Once in a great while I have a taste for steak/pot roast etc. Sometimes I get nervous buying beef from the regular grocery store from all the stories of corn fed, hormones, etc. Does anybody have any personal preference? Would love to know...

My .02 - I eat a LOT of meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, you name it). I have absolutely no preference and don't go out of my way to look for organic, grass-fed, etc. My personal opinion (and I'm not presenting it as fact) is that a lot of it is marketing hoopla. If I want expensive beef, I'll open the wallet WIDE and order some Wagyu beef - but even as much of a delicacy as that's supposed to be, I doubt it would be worth the extra money.

Don't like Wagyu at all. It's pretty nasty unless you really like to eat the fatty ring around a good piece of beef. I just don't get the fascination with it. It isn't aged, It's a thinner steak, it's mostly fat, and it is a little slimy when you chew it.

If you can afford it, grass-fed beef for sure. I personally think it tastes better.

I would definitely go with the organic, grass fed meats, and much less of them!

I spent the past year battling cancer, and one of the books I read to get information to help me in recovery was a book called "Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life", by David Servan-Schreiber. The author had a medical degree and two PhD's, and was himself struck with Brain Cancer when he was only 30 years old. He did extensive research in the medical databases to find things that might help him recover, and his book is loaded with dietary information, as certain foods tend to promote cancer, and certain foods tend to fight cancer.

He found that commercially raised meat has changed dramatically since World War II, and the current methods of raising beef cattle and poultry create an imbalance in Omega 6's and Omega 3's, which tends to promote the development of cancer, according to the studies he reported on. He recommends using only small quantities of meat, and that they should be organic AND grass-fed, or in the case of chicken, organic AND free-range, or in the case of fish, wild-caught, not farmed.

On the other hand, these organic products are MUCH more expensive than regular commercially raised meats. And that matters to most people, because we only have so many dollars to spend on food. But most people probably eat too much meat, and could cut back without any nutritional harm, and save money that way. He felt that the way the Oriental and Indian people eat is more healthful, with meats as a condiment in very small quantities, rather than the main event of the meal.

If you have to eat beef, go with organic grass fed always. Hormones and antibiotics are no good. And cows aren't meant to be eating corn.

humans are not meant to eat green leaf vegetables because we can not digest the cellulose but we still eat them and they are considered "good for us"

But we can chew them and get the vitamins/minerals out of it. No animal digests 100% of all its food. Why do you think everyone and every animal poops.

If you have to eat beef, go with organic grass fed always. Hormones and antibiotics are no good. And cows aren't meant to be eating corn.

humans are not meant to eat green leaf vegetables because we can not digest the cellulose but we still eat them and they are considered "good for us"

But we can chew them and get the vitamins/minerals out of it. No animal digests 100% of all its food. Why do you think everyone and every animal poops.

does poop from 10 dollar a pound ground beef smell better than poop from 2 dollar a pound beef???? nope well then it aint all that important. plenty of studies out there saying organic products are no better for you


I think the most important think to consider when buying meats or produce is where is it sourced from. some countries have regulations about their meats and produce and some dont so being aware where the stuff you put into your mouth comes from is more important than whether it is certified organic or not in my opinion

Grass fed beef has a balance on Omega 3 and Omega 6. Grain fed beef is more like 20/1 Omega 6 / Omega 3. This place has reasonable prices: http://vermontgrassfedbeef.weebly.com/.

If you have to eat beef, go with organic grass fed always. Hormones and antibiotics are no good. And cows aren't meant to be eating corn.

humans are not meant to eat green leaf vegetables because we can not digest the cellulose but we still eat them and they are considered "good for us"

But we can chew them and get the vitamins/minerals out of it. No animal digests 100% of all its food. Why do you think everyone and every animal poops.

does poop from 10 dollar a pound ground beef smell better than poop from 2 dollar a pound beef???? nope well then it aint all that important. plenty of studies out there saying organic products are no better for you


I think the most important think to consider when buying meats or produce is where is it sourced from. some countries have regulations about their meats and produce and some dont so being aware where the stuff you put into your mouth comes from is more important than whether it is certified organic or not in my opinion

Of course its your own opinion to eat as you choose. I'd rather spend more money on good food than on future healthcare costs. I like spending $10/lb on my beef because it tastes better to me. I also like knowing that my cow wasn't grown on a feedlot eating garbage its whole life. Oh yeah, and its also not certified usda organic because that term doesn't mean much. The usda uses that organic branding for profit only.

I like USDA Choice or Prime.