The Ever Raging Question of Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Beef

Beef is the favorite all American food, that every meet lover loves. Like everything else in our lives it has had its own share of debates and doubts and questions. There are two kinds of beef - grass fed and grain fed. Debate is rife on which is the best in terms of various factors.

The promoters of each have placed their views about them and they are equally convincing when considered from the point of view of the consumer. But people are becoming conscious about what it placed on their plate. So, here is a comparison in terms of three factors - flavor, cost and nourishment. These are the important factors that every eater and cook has regarding beef.

The cost or the price of the foodstuff is something that comes to our mind every time we are planning to buy something to eat. The price of the grass-fed and the less meaty beef is undoubtedly higher than the grain-fed and meatier beef. But there is a difference in the color of the beef. Grass fed beef tend to be darker than the grain fed variety and has less of the much desired marbling.

However, marbling is one of the marks that the USDA checks in order to ascertain the grade of the beef. The more the marbling, the better is the grade of the beef. Also, if the beef is lean, one needs to be careful while cooking so that the taste is retained while cooking.

Now, we come to the nutritional qualities. Grass fed beef tends to have more vitamins A and E, higher quantity of healthy omega-3 fats, more antioxidants, and almost seven times the beta-carotene. However, there are also experts who feel that that the grass fed lack in more “important” nutrients than the grain fed beef.

The best beef is the one that is better in taste and is tender to the touch. One might argue that there are techniques of cooking a beef cut in ways that it will taste good. But experience shows that lean meat needs more careful cooking that the fattier ones, since the fat is not present.

Was this confusing for you? Well, it could be because one cannot come to a decision if both the sides are equally impressive. All you can do is have an open mind while buying boneless rib eye steak. It is the cook who gives the ultimate verdict. Follow your taste buds and choose the one that appeal most to them.