Grassfed vs. Grainfed Beef: What's the Big Deal?
In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz around the terms grassfed and grainfed beef. Some are polarized about the issue and swear that one is better than the other while others say there’s no significant difference. Vintage Meadows’s primary output is our 100% grassfed beef products, which we are passionate about producing in an ethical and nutritionally exceptional way. This article will define the label “grassfed” as well as describe the differences between grassfed and grainfed and why we only raise 100% grassfed beef. Our intent is not to convince you that one is superior to the other, but only to present the facts, empowering readers to do their own research and form their own opinions!
Context
Cattle are ruminant animals, which means they have four stomachs and their digestion is a process. Cattle need grassy forages to survive. There’s no such thing as a 100% grainfed cow. All beef used to be grassfed, before producing grain was as cheap and easy as it is today with the help of GMO crops, pesticides, and large equipment. Today, grains, including corn and soybeans, make up about 10% of the average beef cow’s diet.
Companies throw around the “grassfed” or “grass finished” label. Due to a lack of regulation, any cow that has eaten grass at some point in its life can be labeled “grassfed.” What you want to be looking for is 100% grassfed. Numbers don’t lie! Organic grasses are important if you’re looking to avoid chemicals in your beef. Both grassfed and grainfed beef, if not organic, can be laden with chemicals depending on pesticides used on grass, hay, or grain crops.
Some people prefer the taste of grainfed beef over grassfed; due to the higher fat content, the flavor is certainly different. However, others will say the exact opposite: that grainfed beef is bland and fatty, while grassfed beef reveals the true flavor of beef.
One other important thing to note about Americans’ beef is that currently, any imported meat that passes through a USDA inspection is allowed to have a “Product of USA” label. That means meat from Canada, Mexico, and South America, labeled as originating in the US, is in our grocery stores, and consumers are none the wiser. Thankfully, this loophole is in the process of being changed in Congress at the time of this article being written. Read more about this here.
Grainfed Beef
First, let’s take a look at grainfed beef - eaten by the majority of red meat-eating Americans. In addition to the primary diet of hay, producers feed their cattle wheat, soybeans, and corn to increase energy levels which shortens production time and saves money. Grainfed beef has whiter colored fat and typically has more marbling, although not always. Because of their diet, grainfed beef has more calories, but less protein, less healthy fats, no antioxidants, and less overall nutrition. It’s also high in Omega 6 fats - the kind you get from eating processed food and a huge contributor to heart disease.
In an effort to produce affordable beef in America, cattle are fed grain (cheap to produce) and often raised in feedlots known as CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). While not all grainfed cattle are raised in CAFOs, a large majority of the grainfed beef consumed by Americans is. These operations are notorious for inhumane treatment of their animals as well as pumping them full of antibiotics to preserve health. This practice not only lessens the quality of the meat, but it also ends up contaminating water with the harmful chemical and medication waste. One article suggested that commercial beef could contribute to antibiotic resistance in people who regularly eat this quality of meat.
It’s safe to assume that most grainfed beef these days consume GMO crops like corn or soybeans. “GMO’s or genetically modified organisms are plants that have had their genetic structure changed to live even after being sprayed with glyphosate (a toxic weed killer). It kills the grass and weeds around them, but not the crops. These traces of glyphosate end up being eaten by the animal in their feed, and then eaten by you” (Ballard). A lot of food in the US contains GMOs, but that does not change the fact that they are unnatural and that our bodies cannot digest them normally.
One cattle farmer described the American beef industry:
Brief comparison of nutrient content. Source: TNI, 2022
“US raised beef is largely produced on farms just like mine all over the country then those cattle are sold and shipped out West to a feedlot facility where they are grain fed a scientifically balanced diet for a specific time before going to one of the big 4 meat processors in the United States. These 4 companies process, control and ship 85% of all beef in the United States.
And that’s the meat you find in your grocery store. Processed and packed in black plastic containers in long strings you never can seem to break up when it cooks. You don’t know where it came from and next to nothing about its life.
That’s your grain fed supermarket meat” (Ballard).
Grassfed Beef
100% grassfed cattle (which is what Vintage Meadows produces) have had access to pasture their whole lives and have never had grain. “Allowing grass-fed cows to roam on pastures enables them to participate in their natural behavior, choosing the foods they want to eat and not being forced to overeat grains to make them gain weight more quickly” (TNI, 2022).
The beef tends to be leaner with yellower fat. Cows roam on pasture, where they develop more muscle and less fat. This means grassfed beef has less calories than grainfed and much more protein. Grassfed beef has significantly higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids than grainfed beef. Omega 3 fats are essential to human health, promoting metabolic, cognitive, and cardiovascular health.
Additionally, grassfed beef has powerful antioxidants that don’t exist in grainfed beef. The diveristy of plants consumed by grassfed cattle contributes to high levels of antioxidant-rich phytonutrients. “We reap the benefits when we consume this antioxidant-rich meat, which includes anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and cardioprotective activity. These phytochemicals also protect the meat from oxidation that causes inflammation and damage to cells, proteins, and fats—a leading cause of chronic disease and aging” (TNI, 2022).
Grazing cattle helps with soil erosion, making the land more durable and sustainable, especially in cases of flooding or drought. Through something we call regenerative agriculture, the cattle’s manure naturally fertilizes the land and “returns nutrients and healthy microbes to the soil, improving the biodiversity and health of the surrounding ecosystem” (TNI, 2022). Additionally, healthy soil and grasses help trap carbon dioxide, which mitigates the effects of the increased methane production from their longer lifespans.
Grassfed beef is typically more expensive than grainfed beef, due to the longer production time. 100% grassfed cattle also require a lot more land to produce, which contributes to the higher price tag. Overall, grassfed beef is full of important nutrients and even has environmental and agricultural benefits.
Conclusion
The biggest factor in the quality of your beef is the way the cow was raised and its health at the time of slaughter. While 100% grassfed beef raised without chemicals, pesticides, or antibiotics does have higher nutrient value, there are worse things out there than organic grainfed beef. For some, it comes down to a matter of flavor/texture preference or wanting the absolute best nutrition out there. Vintage Meadows is passionate about producing the highest quality product with maximum health benefits and no cut corners. For us, that means 100% grassfed beef that feeds you and your family, contributing to your physical and cognitive health.
References
Owens & Purser. (2021, July 16). Grain-Fed vs Grass-Fed Beef- What’s the Difference? NC Cooperative Extension. https://union.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/07/809396/
TNI Editorial Team. (2022, August 31). Reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Hughes, MD. Grass Fed vs Grain Fed: Which Beef is Best? The Nutrition Insider. https://thenutritioninsider.com/wellness/grass-fed-vs-grain-fed/
Ballard, R. (n.d.). Grass fed beef vs grain fed: Your unbiased guide. Feast and Farm. https://feastandfarm.com/grass-fed-beef-vs-grain-fed/
Flynn, D. (2023, March 7). “Product of USA” to mean something again. Food Safety News. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2023/03/product-of-usa-to-mean-something-again/#:~:text=The%20voluntary%20%E2%80%9CProduct%20of%20U.S.A.,through%20a%20USDA%2Dinspected%20plant.