First post - question about grass-fed beef

[Sgt. Hartman]

This is my first post although I have been lurking on here so much and for so long that I feel like a stalker. I never felt the need to join b/c I could research and find the answer to my questions without having to post and ask it. I finally decided to join because I have gotten so much out of this forum maybe there is an off-chance I might have something to contribute or give back.

On to the question. This afternoon i am going to pick up 1/4 of a grass-fed cow. Me and 3 other family members are splitting a whole cow. I have looked everywhere on the internet to find out the nutritional information on grass-fed beef but haven't been able to come up with much other than grass-fed beef is significantly lower in fat and calories (around 1/3) than the standard corn-fed beef. That would make it comparable to chicken. Of course this info comes from web-sites trying to sell grass-fed beef which makes it even harder to believe.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience about this or know of any sites where I can calculate my macros as I will obviously be eating a lot of beef in the near future. YUM! YUM!!

Thanks.

[calstate23]

No matter if it's some "SPECIALTY" beef or not...The most accurate way of knowing how much fat is in the lean would be through the cut.

For instance, top round, regardless of the cow will be lower in fat then the rest of the cuts on the cow. Another example, if you're getting a ribeye cut its going to have more fat regardless!

Research the lowest in fat cuts and try to get THOSE!!! Top round is the leanest

[Sgt. Hartman]

Cal-

I am well aware of the fact that different cuts have varying amounts of fat and calories per ounce. Obviously, a ribeye has more fat than a flank steak whether it is corn or grass fed. What I was getting at is I need a way to count my macros and calories as there is a substantial difference between grass vs corn fed.

[calstate23]

Cal-

I am well aware of the fact that different cuts have varying amounts of fat and calories per ounce. Obviously, a ribeye has more fat than a flank steak whether it is corn or grass fed. What I was getting at is I need a way to count my macros and calories as there is a substantial difference between grass vs corn fed.

Yeah, I know there is a difference but really I don't think there will be much of a difference. For instance, whether its chicken, turkey, tuna, or beef which are completely different usually equal around the same amount of protein per 4 oz of meat.. about 25 grams protein. So most of you're calories are coming from protein. So its more of a fat issue which causes the change in nutritional value.

Lets say, a top round at 4 oz has 5 grams of fat. How much difference do you really think the grass fed will be per grams of fat? It is a piece of beef and it would probably vary 1 gram of fat. Because it sure as hell ain't going to be 1 or 2 grams of fat per 4 oz of beef. And I really highly even doubt 3 g fat. So most of the calories are coming from the protein, so lets say it varied 1 g of fat per 4 oz..That would only be a 9 calorie difference per 4 ounces of meat which isn't much.

And in the long run, there is no "True" way of measuring your food 100% without any slight variance. There is really no true way of even knowing if your cow is TRULY grass fed so in the long coming up with calculations would probably be inaccurate.

Not trying to be a downer here, I'm sure it was grass fed and there is a difference. But a difference between a top round grass fed or top round corn fed cut of meat isn't going to vary in a HUGE DRASTIC way. The biggest difference would most likely be in the taste of the beef.

[Sgt. Hartman]

I couldn't figure out how to download the graph but it shows grass fed beef having only 2.2 calories of fat per 3 oz serving.


"Summary of Important Health Benefits of Grassfed Meats, Eggs and Dairy

Lower in Fat and Calories. There are a number of nutritional differences between the meat of pasture-raised and feedlot-raised animals. To begin with, meat from grass-fed cattle, sheep, and bison is lower in total fat. If the meat is very lean, it can have one third as much fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal. In fact, as you can see by the graph below, grass-fed beef can have the same amount of fat as skinless chicken breast, wild deer, or elk.[1] Research shows that lean beef actually lowers your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.[2]


Data from J. Animal Sci 80(5):1202-11.

Because meat from grass-fed animals is lower in fat than meat from grain-fed animals, it is also lower in calories. (Fat has 9 calories per gram, compared with only 4 calories for protein and carbohydrates. The greater the fat content, the greater the number of calories.) As an example, a 6-ounce steak from a grass-finished steer can have 100 fewer calories than a 6-ounce steak from a grain-fed steer. If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to lean grassfed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year—without requiring any willpower or change in your eating habits. If everything else in your diet remains constant, you'll lose about six pounds a year. If all Americans switched to grassfed meat, our national epidemic of obesity might diminish."



PS. I know my cow was only fed grass because my brother in law raised it and took it to the processor himself.

[calstate23]

I couldn't figure out how to download the graph but it shows grass fed beef having only 2.2 calories of fat per 3 oz serving.


"Summary of Important Health Benefits of Grassfed Meats, Eggs and Dairy

Lower in Fat and Calories. There are a number of nutritional differences between the meat of pasture-raised and feedlot-raised animals. To begin with, meat from grass-fed cattle, sheep, and bison is lower in total fat. If the meat is very lean, it can have one third as much fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal. In fact, as you can see by the graph below, grass-fed beef can have the same amount of fat as skinless chicken breast, wild deer, or elk.[1] Research shows that lean beef actually lowers your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.[2]


Data from J. Animal Sci 80(5):1202-11.

Because meat from grass-fed animals is lower in fat than meat from grain-fed animals, it is also lower in calories. (Fat has 9 calories per gram, compared with only 4 calories for protein and carbohydrates. The greater the fat content, the greater the number of calories.) As an example, a 6-ounce steak from a grass-finished steer can have 100 fewer calories than a 6-ounce steak from a grain-fed steer. If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to lean grassfed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year—without requiring any willpower or change in your eating habits. If everything else in your diet remains constant, you'll lose about six pounds a year. If all Americans switched to grassfed meat, our national epidemic of obesity might diminish."



PS. I know my cow was only fed grass because my brother in law raised it and took it to the processor himself.

No doubt I don't think its more lean.....But how lean really? You might want to check further on the grass fed beef only having 2.2 calories of fat per 3 oz serving. Just because its online doesn't mean its a legitimate source. Because I find it very very hard to believe that statement.

According to that statement, that means grass fed beef would have .25 g of fat per 3 oz serving which is less then fish, which is the leanest meat of all, so I really highly doubt that is correct.

Deer, which is pretty much the leanest red meat you're going to get is around 1.5 - 2 g of fat per 3 oz.

So I mean, I don't know what to really tell you. I just think it will be super super difficult to even calculate your caloric intake off of grass fed beef. Nutritional charts vary from others, and truly in the end you can't really ever know unless its on the wrap when you buy it. And still, even then it would be almost impossible to say that those are 100% without a doubt correct.

I say, you want to really try and be so specific, your best option might be to just base it off bison meat or deer. But then again, those would only be assumptions.

And if you would really like to get the most accurate option, you should take your meat to a very experienced butcher. He would be the one to give you the most accurate option.

[Cycnasty]

yee ha

[Times Roman]

...and the debate continues. All I know is that my father in law would butcher one or two cows a year. Free range with some hay during the year, and oats for two weeks or so right before the slaughter. One time he didn't have the $$ for two weeks of oats and whatever before the slaughter, and the meat came out much leaner, and not nearly as good.

[Sgt. Hartman]

I mis-typed in my previous post. They claim it has 2.2 grams of fat per 3 oz serving not 2.2 calories of fat per 3 oz serving. Much more believable but still almost too good to be true.

[Sicko]

MMMMmmm beef,its whats for dinner!!!

[tbody66]

I know someone who raises organic beef and buffalo, I'll ask him where I can get the macro information from, if he knows. I know that everyone here that buys it and eats it says you would never buy any other kind for flavor after having organic. I eat the buffalo and would not ever eat beef if I could afford to only eat the organic bison. It is substantially leaner than beef, noticably so in the cuts. Have you tried livestrong.com and just start typing in organic or grass fed beef and see if it pulls the nutritional information up?