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Grass Fed Beef
In the store you might notice a label claims grass fed or grain fed but doesn’t typically give you details behind that. The cattle could have been grass-fed for a certain amount of time, but then fed grain for the last few months before they were butchered. That’s where the term “finished” comes in.
The specific feeding and finished process will impact flavor and texture of the beef once it is processed. It is important to understand that grass fed beef means the cattle were pasture raised rather than being raised on a feed lot.
This should imply that their overall living conditions were better and healthier as compared with feedlot raised cattle.
All our beef is grass fed.
A grass finished label specifically means that cow ate nothing but grass or forage for their entire lifespan. Grass finished beef tends to have a beefier texture and flavor to it. Think of it as similar to wild game, raised on what is most natural to the animal.
Cattle that are grain finished are fed grain for a few months leading up to when they are butchered. This is typically done so in order to fatten them up. In addition, there are people who really prefer the flavor and texture of grain finished, so this appeal can be some of the reason as well. This beef tends to have higher fat levels overall. The flavor might be perceived as bolder and the meat juicier.
Grass Finished Beef
Beef in general is quite nutrient dense. It has eight times more vitamin B12, six times more zinc, and three times more iron than skinless chicken breast.
There is a lot of information out on the internet on the health benefits of grass finished versus grain finished. However, more recent research is telling us, that although grass finished is better in that aspect, it’s not very significant in terms of how much better.
Although beef is not a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, a 3.5-ounce serving of grass-finished beef gives you 15 milligrams more omega-3 than grain finished.
Grass finished beef typically contain more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (a polyunsaturated fatty acid believed to hold cancer fighting properties) than grain finished, research really hasn’t determined whether this difference is enough to create a significant health benefit.
Grain Finished Beef
Oregon Valley Farm is a family business located in beautiful NW Oregon. We sell affordable, high quality, grass fed & finished, antibiotic & hormone free beef, pork and chicken.
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