WHY FREE RANGE MEAT IS SUPERIOR TO FACTORY FARMED MEATS
Free range beef meatballs. Image from Cannings Free Range Butchers. |
- Hygiene
Factory farmed animals live in disgusting
conditions. To save space they are crammed into tiny spaces and tiny cages
living on top of each other. The results are foul: There is animal excrement
everywhere, including in the animal’s mouths and faces. To combat this, the
animals are pumped full of antibiotics and false growth hormones, to stop
infections and make them grow at the same pace they would if they weren't in
spaces that restricted their growth. The growth hormones also serve to make the
animal grow at an unnaturally fast rate, meaning the quickest turnaround time
and the most money for the farmer. This means that you are eating meat that is
potentially very unclean, full of infection, false hormones, and worst of all,
antibiotics. Arsenic substances (very low, but nonetheless!) are often added to
the high-fat feed mixture of the animals, which is eventually condemned by
humans. Free range meat, meanwhile, is subject to strict guidelines as to how
much space the animal is given to roam in, and free range often means grass
fed.
- You are what you eat
Grass fed meats have a dramatically higher
instance of omega 3 (good fat, fat that is essential for cell regeneration)
compared with omega 6 (bad fat, fat that will clog your arteries are cause you
heart disease). Grain fed, force fed, and factory farmed meats are always,
always, higher in fat and lower in protein, which means more or less that it
has very little good and a lot of bad.
To contact Danielle with questions or concerns, email her at: daniellehmcann@gmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Kelly's Note: As a dietitian, I agree with the experts who recommended to eat a "mostly plant based diet" in the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines. As far as red meat is concerned, I do recommend limiting the quantity of red meat one consumes since the research is very conflicting about red meat intake and impact on health. Even though grass-fed beef does contain higher levels of omega-3's and is generally lower in fat than grain-fed beef, there is new research suggesting that the L-carnitine found in high levels in red and processed meats may contribute to atherosclerosis. However, processed meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, seem to be much worse for health than natural and unprocessed beef. I posted this blog because beef is a great source of protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals. I know that many people do consume beef regularly, and therefore, you should be educated about your purchasing decisions.Since humans do not need to consume high quantities of meat each day to be healthy, you should spend the money to buy a smaller portion of grass-fed beef as compared to cheaper and larger quantities of factory-raised beef.
1 comment:
Hi Kelly,
Great post on grass-fed beef! I'm a strong believer that free range animal protein is so much better for the body and earth than factory farmed animal protein.
I wanted to introduce myself and my company to you. Michigan Venison Company is a family business started in 2009. Based in Traverse City, Michigan, we provide free range, Michigan Whitetail Venison to customers all over the States, from in-home gourmands to those with health-concious diets to hunters who had bad luck but still want their wild game fix. Our mission is to make venison a mainstream protein because of its ample nutritional value, not to mention its amazing flavor.
We will soon be launching our new non-meat product lines, such as spice blends, cookbooks, and apparel. We hope these will further inspire people to experiment and feed their loved ones with this delicious and nutritious protein.
Please let me know if you'd ever be interested in blogging about venison or our company. I would be happy to send samples to get you started.
Kate Lane
kate@michiganvenison.com
www.michiganvenison.com
www.facebook.com/MichiganVenison
Post a Comment