image from www.ifood.tv./blog
Movies like Food, Inc. and Supersize Me , and books such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation , have provided Americans with eye-opening accounts of what it takes to a get a burger onto your plate (or into your bag if you are at the drive-thru). Increased consumer education is forcing farmers and meat producing companies to modify their practices in order to remain competitive. Still, we as consumers, are left scratching our heads at the meat counter. Food labeling is confusing at best, misleading (bordering on unethical in my opinion), at worst. Organic? Grass Fed? All Natural? Hormone Free? Antibiotic Free?
The HEALTHIEST choice you can make is to limit your consumption of red meat. Three ways to limit your red meat consumption:
- Treat vegetables as the main dish, and meat and grains as the sides.
- Focus on fish and chicken as animal proteins and to eat red meat only occasionally (once or twice a month).
- Designate at least 1 or 2 nights a week as meat-free nights.
If and when you do choose to eat beef, a wise option is to go to a local farm or farmers’ market and ask how the cattle are raised. Cows that were raised the “old-fashioned” way, grazing on grass at farms, are most likely going to be the best source for beef you can find. Eat Wild is a great resource for locating local farms that grass feed their animals. Often times, the cost of label certification is prohibitive for the farmers, but their ability to produce high quality, grass fed beef might be better than some of the larger, more industrialized farms. The site also lists farms that will ship meat to your door. For more information visit Eat Wild .
If you are shopping at the supermarket, pay close attention to the labels on the beef. Below is a list of labels for what I consider to be the top 3 options for beef, from a health perspective:
1. The best choice is 100% Grass Fed AND USDA Certified Organic beef. Look for the words “100% Grass Fed” or “Grass Fed and Finished” AND BOTH of these labels:
AND 
2. If you have to choose between Grass Fed and Certified Organic, try to find beef that has the words “100% Grass Fed” (or “Grass Fed and Finished”) with a USDA Process Verified label AND ONE OR MORE of the following labels: a “Food Alliance Certified,” a “Certified Humane,” AND/OR a “Demeter Certified Biodynamic” label.
AND 
OR 
OR 
3. If you are unable to find one of the choices above, look for the USDA Certified Organic label.
What do these labels mean and why is it important to aim for 100% Grass Fed and USDA Certified Organic beef?
Studies have found 100% grass fed beef to be healthier for human consumption, as compared to grain finished beef, in the following ways:
- more omega 3s (better ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s). Some scientists have even compared the levels of omega 3s in 100% grass fed beef to those found in fish. For more information about the health benefits of omega 3s found in grass fed beef and animal products, click here .
- increased vitamin E and other antioxidants
- more conjugated linolenic acid (associated with weight management and cancer prevention)
- lower fat content
Limitations:
- The label does not guarantee that the cattle have consistent access to pasture. They can be fed hay in a feedlot; still better than cattle that are being fed corn or grains, but not as good as cattle that are free to range and graze on grass. Visiting a local farm and speaking with the farmers and/or witnessing the cows grazing on grass is often the best indicator for the quality of beef you will get. In terms of the environment, the smaller local farms are typically treating the cattle and the land in a way that is better for the environment and will produce the healthier meat than industrialized lots.
- Grass fed cattle can be treated with hormones and antibiotics.
- 100% Grass Fed beef is tougher (because it is leaner) and has a gamier flavor than the beef most of us are used to eating.
The USDA Process Verified Label: If you see this label AND the words “100% Grass Fed” or the words “Grass Fed and Finished” the USDA has inspected the farm and it meets USDA standards for grass fed beef. The cows were not fed grains or corn.
USDA Organic: The beef has been certified by the USDA. Cows were not given antibiotics or growth hormones. They were fed 100% organic feed (grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and no genetically modified crops). Limitations: Organic farms can still feed their cows grain products, including corn, and the cattle are often confined to food lots.
Food Alliance Certified: Animals must be treated humanely and were not given hormones or genetically modified crops. Farms must also must pay attention to good environmental practice and treat their workers safely and fairly.
Certified Humane: Cows were fed a hormone-free diet and were given antibiotics for therapeutic purposes only. Certified farms must meet the American Meat Institute Standards and provide the cows with a safe and healthy environment.
Demeter Certified Biodynamic: Farmers who have this certification focus on healthy soil and do not use synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, animal byproducts or genetically modified crops.
:
The following labels are pretty much useless, because there is no system or regulation in place to verify the claims:
- Antibiotic Free
- Free Range
- Fresh
- Hormone Free
- Natural
To summarize, the health and environmental benefits of 100% Grass Fed beef are clear. If you can find 100% Grass Fed beef locally and are confident about the farming practices, it’s probably your best bet. Visit Eat Wild to find a farm near you. Grass fed beef with any of the labels listed above will provide the health benefits of grass feeding while also limiting some contaminants such as pesticides and antibiotics. If 100% Grass Fed beef is not available, USDA Certified Organic beef is guaranteed to be free of antibiotics and hormones, which beats conventional beef, but it may still be compromised in terms of its nutritional profile.
Dr. Andrew Weil’s Guide to Healthy Eating: Fall 2009
image from www.ifood.tv./blog
Movies like Food, Inc. and Supersize Me , and books such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation , have provided Americans with eye-opening accounts of what it takes to a get a burger onto your plate (or into your bag if you are at the drive-thru). Increased consumer education is forcing farmers and meat producing companies to modify their practices in order to remain competitive. Still, we as consumers, are left scratching our heads at the meat counter. Food labeling is confusing at best, misleading (bordering on unethical in my opinion), at worst. Organic? Grass Fed? All Natural? Hormone Free? Antibiotic Free?
The HEALTHIEST choice you can make is to limit your consumption of red meat. Three ways to limit your red meat consumption:
If and when you do choose to eat beef, a wise option is to go to a local farm or farmers’ market and ask how the cattle are raised. Cows that were raised the “old-fashioned” way, grazing on grass at farms, are most likely going to be the best source for beef you can find. Eat Wild is a great resource for locating local farms that grass feed their animals. Often times, the cost of label certification is prohibitive for the farmers, but their ability to produce high quality, grass fed beef might be better than some of the larger, more industrialized farms. The site also lists farms that will ship meat to your door. For more information visit Eat Wild .
If you are shopping at the supermarket, pay close attention to the labels on the beef. Below is a list of labels for what I consider to be the top 3 options for beef, from a health perspective:
1. The best choice is 100% Grass Fed AND USDA Certified Organic beef. Look for the words “100% Grass Fed” or “Grass Fed and Finished” AND BOTH of these labels:
2. If you have to choose between Grass Fed and Certified Organic, try to find beef that has the words “100% Grass Fed” (or “Grass Fed and Finished”) with a USDA Process Verified label AND ONE OR MORE of the following labels: a “Food Alliance Certified,” a “Certified Humane,” AND/OR a “Demeter Certified Biodynamic” label.
3. If you are unable to find one of the choices above, look for the USDA Certified Organic label.
What do these labels mean and why is it important to aim for 100% Grass Fed and USDA Certified Organic beef?
Studies have found 100% grass fed beef to be healthier for human consumption, as compared to grain finished beef, in the following ways:
Limitations:
The USDA Process Verified Label: If you see this label AND the words “100% Grass Fed” or the words “Grass Fed and Finished” the USDA has inspected the farm and it meets USDA standards for grass fed beef. The cows were not fed grains or corn.
USDA Organic: The beef has been certified by the USDA. Cows were not given antibiotics or growth hormones. They were fed 100% organic feed (grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and no genetically modified crops). Limitations: Organic farms can still feed their cows grain products, including corn, and the cattle are often confined to food lots.
Food Alliance Certified: Animals must be treated humanely and were not given hormones or genetically modified crops. Farms must also must pay attention to good environmental practice and treat their workers safely and fairly.
Certified Humane: Cows were fed a hormone-free diet and were given antibiotics for therapeutic purposes only. Certified farms must meet the American Meat Institute Standards and provide the cows with a safe and healthy environment.
Demeter Certified Biodynamic: Farmers who have this certification focus on healthy soil and do not use synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, animal byproducts or genetically modified crops.
:
The following labels are pretty much useless, because there is no system or regulation in place to verify the claims:
To summarize, the health and environmental benefits of 100% Grass Fed beef are clear. If you can find 100% Grass Fed beef locally and are confident about the farming practices, it’s probably your best bet. Visit Eat Wild to find a farm near you. Grass fed beef with any of the labels listed above will provide the health benefits of grass feeding while also limiting some contaminants such as pesticides and antibiotics. If 100% Grass Fed beef is not available, USDA Certified Organic beef is guaranteed to be free of antibiotics and hormones, which beats conventional beef, but it may still be compromised in terms of its nutritional profile.
If you have additional questions or concerns about the quality and safety of your beef, you can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Safety Hotline .
For more information about the history of beef, the process of raising cattle, and the various cuts of beef visit: Beef…from Farm to Table .
To watch the original Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” commercial visit: Where’s the Beef? on YouTube