5 Ways to Choose Better Meat

This post is about one of my FAVORITE foods- MEAT, and considering I eat a lot of it- this is a major concern of mine! I'm willing to bet, that if you're reading this you consume a lot of meat as well. Even though many would argue that a vegan diet is a healthier way of life, AND it is possible to thrive and survive minus meat, the fact of the matter is that animal proteins are among the most bio available and complete. They are a good source of B Vitamins, iron, magnesium, amino acids, and zinc- all of which can be hard to get into your diet through other means.

Most people who "don't" eat meat, do so because they either think it's high in fat, causes ill health, OR they're worried about the environment or the treatment of animals.

My father is the farm manager at Rodale Research Institute, a leading research institute dedicated towards the research and growth of organics. He also sits on the United States Organics Board and helps set the standards by which organic foods are indentified. Thus I am a huge supporter of organics- and want others to be too- but that aside, getting YOU guys the info is important so you can make your own choices! The bottom line is- whether you eat meat or don't, read on...

Our current industrial agricultural system has a created a situation in which we should ALL be concerned for the animals, the environment, and our personal health. Why? Because it's centralized on subsidized feed crops and concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs. Contrary to popular belief the sustainable movement isn't say "no" to meat, it's just advocatinf that you choose a better KIND of meat, i.e become a more concientious meat eater! Here are 5 ways you can choose better meat- for the animals, the environment, AND most importantly- your health;

1. Understand the issues...
REALLY understand them! I have one statement to make here- bluntly put CAFOS are hell on earth. They're like concentration camps for animals, cruelty is a systematic part of how they do things- and knowing too much about CAFOS would turn ANYONE away from eating meat- myself included- and I LOVE meat! I don't know anyone that can argue this point- cows raised standing in their own fecal matter, pigs confined to gestational crates, chickens subjected to beak cutting and crowded into windowless warehouses, etc etc.

Animal welfare is only one reason to shift away from industrial meat. There are others, including the pollution produced by factory farms. Talk about an environmental concern. Did you know that the worldwide livestock sector accounts for nearly 20% of the global greenhouse gas emissions? That's more then the world's transport emissions combined. I was shocked when I read that quote- as I'm sure you just were! The bottom line- the way we raise animals is not only NOT humane, it's not ecologically sustainable.

We have ramped up production to unprecendented levels, creating an excess of animal waste. Feed is another factor. To raise more cows, chickens, and pigs in limited spaces we've altered their diets to go heavy on soy and corn- commoditied subsidized by U.S tax dollars. About 50% of all corn and 90% of all soy goes towards feeding livestock- NOT towards human consumption. It's incredibly polluting and energy intensive way of producing food.

2.Look for greener pastures...
So what's the problem with the corn and soy diet? Well it's this- cows are ruminants, and were never meant to eat corn. Period. When you change their natural diets for the sake of large scale production it has health consequences for them. Since we consume cows, it thus has health consequences for us. Feed lot beef is overly fatty and contains an abnormally small amount of omega 3 fatty acids and too much omega 6- which is the kind of fat linked to heart disease and cancer.

Consider the diet with which we evolved. As hunter/gatherers we got about 50% of our calories from meat, we couldn't overdose on omega 6's because they're most abundant naturally in grains, which wasn't readily available in quantity in the past 5,000 years. Now we're getting 10-20 more times omega 6's then we need as a result of dietary changes- more grain is abundant and our meat is altered. In changing the diet of the animals that we eat, we've tampered with something essential and we are paying the price at higher rates of cancer,heart disease, depression, obesity, and autoimmune disorders.

HOWEVER- and this is a BIG HOWEVER, when you choose GRASS FED beef, the inverse is true! You get fatty acids in balance and a healthy dose of health protective CLA (conjugated lipoic acid). When cows are eating the diet they were designed to eat they have healthy fats and are rich in antioxidants. The entire scope of consuming meat changes.

3.Accept the real costs...
By real costs I mean this- there is no getting around the fact that healthier, earth friendly meats cost more. Shop around as much as you can but be willing to stretch your budget a bit. And remember what you're investing in- yes it is more expensive but thats only because the hidden costs are not offset. Organic farms, or small local farms don't get subsidized- you don't pay through your tax dollars. You have to ask yourself if you'd rather be supporting an extractive economy, based on pulling resources OUT of the earth and pouring garbage into your body, OR do you want a support a sustainable, eco friendly economy that fuels your body the way nature intended?

4. Expand your palate...
Another way to get more for your money and to literally "get more from your meat" is to consider using all parts of the animal. You can do this by saving the bones and making stock, or finding creative ways to utilize more parts of the animal. Small farmers won't have all cuts in stock at all times, since they're working on a smaller scale, they're working with a few animals only at a time rather then hundreds of thousands. Small scale farmers can help you choose another cut (i.e skirt steak can substitute for flank steak) or help you adapt your recipe according to what's available. I recommend looking at http://www.grassfedcooking.com/ for more recipe ideas.

5. Stay local if you can...
When it comes to creating sustainable food systems local is always the trump card, ALWAYS. I know locally I get much of my bison/buffalo from a local bison ranch. Finding a small, local farmer is usually the healthier choice for you, the animal, the farmer, and thus the local economy. If you're unsure as to where one exists near you, check out http://www.localharvest.org/, http://www.eatwild.com/, or http://www.eatwellguide.com/. Better yet connect to your local sustainable food movement. If you live in the city or suburbs consider driving out to get your meat or have it shipped to you from a small family run farm. The cost of transporting meat is minimal compared with the cost to the environment or your tax dollars put to work on CAFO meat. Its far better to buy grass fed from a state away. If you have to shop at a grocery store, or you just prefer to- READ LABELS CAREFULLY. You have to do your homework here. Briefly- here's a cheat sheet:

• USDA ORGANIC: This is the ONLY (I repeat the ONLY) label with real muscle. It means its regulated by the United States government. It guarantees the animal was raised without hormones or antibiotics and was grass fed or fed organic feed. It ALSO specifies that the animal needs to be alotted a certain amount of space for livestock management (thus eliminating CAFO issues).
• CERTIFIED HUMANE: This is an independent certification, and its the go to label for small animal welfare. The standards of this certification address minimum food and water requirements, shelter requirements, as well as humane conditions for slaughter. Standards are different depending on the animal- turkey, chicken, pig, goat, cow, sheep etc.
• ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED: This is the creme de la creme of animal welfare labels, and according to most experts this label has the most rigorous standards for the humane treatment of animals.
• GRASS FED: This term can be used loosely, but cuts marked "American Grass Fed" or "AGA Pasture Finished" are preferable, they meet stringent standards set by the American Grassfed Organization
• FREE RANGE or CAGE FREE: Ideally this would be taken to mean uber happy chickens running around free in a field- but since these terms are un-certified there's no guarantee. The only way to know for sure is to call the company and ask..and even then who knows. Bottom line is it's a term- easily manipulated for marketing purposes. Un certified= unsure.
• ANTIBIOTIC or HORMONE FREE: These terms mean what they say they mean, but again they're not certified so there's no way to know for sure...
• NATURAL: I personally LOATHE this term and wish it was BANNED from usage by the food industry. It's appealing, sure but it's on EVERYTHING and it means NOTHING. It's misleading and misused, minimally regulated, and ultimately nothing more then a marketing ploy to make the consumer think they're getting a "healthier" product. Disregard this label entirely.

When you go out of your way to buy a piece of pork from a pig who was allowed to root, or a cut of steak from a cow that was allowed to pasture, you CAN feel good about eating it. It's good for animal, it's good for the environment, and ultimately good for your health and long term- your wallet.