Organic and Grass-Fed Beef:
Better for My Health?

Written by Jeff Cox
Published in April 2008

Cows are meant to graze on grass. Organic farming raises cows in as close to a natural state as possible, which is healthier for the cows and yields healthier, better-tasting beef.

Animals raised according to organic principles of animal welfare are allowed space to express their nature, and that greatly reduces stress. Stress creates imbalances and disease and results in meat of lesser quality. Animals that are stressed before slaughter can yield pale, soft meat that exudes sour lactic acid.

What is Grass-Fed Beef?

There are two basic kinds of organic beef. One comes from animals that are 100 percent grass fed, meaning that the animals are pastured until slaughter. The other kind involves taking the animals to feedlots for the last months of their lives, where they're fed a diet rich in grains, which fattens them up for slaughter. Grass-fed is a much more natural way for cattle to finish their days. The four stomach compartments of a cow are designed to digest grass, not grains, and feedlots, even organic feedlots, can be smelly, messy places. Between these two kinds of organic beef, 100 percent grass fed carries a premium.

	Beef Good Breeds: Angus, Polled Hereford, Beefalo

Nutritional Advantages of Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-fed beef contains less saturated fat than cattle finished on grains. Grass-fed beef also contains more of the essential fatty acid omega-3, as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an essential fatty acid that helps regulate the way our bodies deal with other fats, boosts the immune system, fights cancer, and has other health benefits.

Grass-fed beef is not as tender as beef from animals finished on grain, but if the meat is aged by hanging for a period of time in a cooler, the aging process will tenderize it. Ask your butcher about aging. For more information about what the various labels for beef mean, visit the Consumer Union's online guide.

Cook grass-fed ground beef lightly and cover the pan. The best way to cook steaks is to sear both sides, then finish them in a 350°F oven for 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak and the degree of doneness you want - but grass-fed beef is best rare.

Jeff Cox, former editor of Organic Gardening magazine, helped lead the organic movement from a fringe idea to a phenomenon. He was the host of Your Organic Garden on PBS and Grow It! on HGTV and is the author of 17 books, including the James Beard Award-nominated The Organic Cook's Bible.

Excerpted with permission of the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc., from The Organic Food Shopper. Copyright © 2008 by Jeff Cox.