How healthy is your diet? This is a question many Americans are asking themselves as of late with so much new data being brought to their attention concerning the current standards of the meat industry. Foodborne illness, reduced minerals and environmentally unstable breeding environments are just a few of the concerns the meat industry has concerning their output and it’s something consumers are starting to feel every time they go to the grocery store or shop online. How can you get the best of both worlds while still providing for your family as well as your environment at large? Grass fed beef is fast becoming the answer, proven to have more vitamins than grain fed counterparts while putting less strain on industry and consumer alike.

Beef

Grass fed beef is quickly becoming the eco-friendly and health-conscious option for consumers across the country. Why? Let’s start with the basics. Grass fed beef has been found to have seven times the beta carotene of grain fed cows, giving consumers healthier amounts of vitamin A they’re simply not getting from the average grocer. Beef from grass fed cows also has higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids, commonly thought to be more easily found in fish, and can keep you healthier than conventional choices. Unfortunately, grass fed beef only accounts for less than 3% of all beef sales. When you buy grass fed, you do your body and your industry a huge favor!

Pork

Perhaps grass fed beef is not your go-to. If you’re more of a pork fan, you’re in good hands. Pasture pigs have been found to produce a stunning 300% more vitamin E as well as 75% more selenium in their milk. This is perfect for creating healthy litters of pigs, to boot, and encourages a much healthier industry than many current meat models are promoting. For those that want to be as environmentally conscious as they are financial, seeking out pasture pigs is truly the way to go. The average American eats 66 pounds of beef every year as well as 90 pounds of chicken. But what about fish?

Fish

Fish is a fantastic option for those who want to watch their calories while still gleaning every last essential vitamin they can out of a meal. Farmed salmon has more than three times the saturated fat as wild salmon does, with a wild salmon half filet only having 13 grams of fat compared to farmed salmons’ 27. If that sounds like quite a bargain, don’t stop reading yet. Wild salmon also has 32% less calories according to data provided by the National Nutritional Database and may even be safer to eat on the whole.

Illness

Foodborne illness can leave many hesitant to seek out their favorite meat options. A 2001 study saw up to 80% of antibiotics produced in the United States given to livestock feed. Another study published by Clinical Infectious Diseases estimated at least 47% of meat and poultry will possess Staph bacteria. Much of this is caused by harmful breeding and housing enclosures, that of which is circumvented by grass fed, pasture bred and wild caught meat options.

Creating A Healthy Diet

Sustainable meat options are simply the way of the future. Wild caught Alaskan salmon has less calories, less saturated fat and more vitamins than their farmed counterparts, ideal for those trying to lose weight and stay healthy all in one bite. Grass fed beef gains a noticeable boost in essential omega fatty acids and pasture bred chicken and pork have a reduced risk of harmful illness than convention. Even better? You can find grass fed steaks online alongside plenty of healthy and quick recipes to bring out the very best in your own personal diet. Go down the road less traveled and set a trend. Try wild caught and grass fed options and see the difference they make.

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Francis Pitt

Francis Pitt has made a name for himself in farm-to-table organics, working at restaurants in Portland, Seattle and Burlington, Vermont. While he has a taste for the extreme, most of his restaurant’s top sellers are much more down-to-earth, regularly featuring mushrooms gathered from the slopes of the Cascades, and fresh wild-caught seafood from the Oregon coast. Inspired by trends in Portland, his latest restaurant offers the ultimate chef’s table: dinner begins in the morning at his island collective farm, and 4 lucky guests every week get to follow the food, literally, from the field to the plate! Francis is a firm believer that you are what you eat — do you really want to be a chemistry set?

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