You may have read a previous post where I mentioned I used to be a vegetarian! Yes, that is true, and mainly do to my love and compassion for animals. I never felt very healthy when I was a vegetarian, as I would feel hungry all the time and crave unhealthy foods with empty carbs and LOTS of sugar. I would wake up in the morning thinking “I NEED icecream NOW!” I thought I just had a crazy strong sweet tooth, that I couldn’t control, but my body was trying to tell me something different. I wasn’t getting enough nutrition, primarily protein, and my body was craving sugar and carbs to try to make up the energy deficit. I decided to gradually start introducing meat back into my diet, starting with fish and poultry, then eventually beef (I still do not eat veal or lamb). As I began to learn more about food and nutrition I became increasingly interested in how my meat had been raised. First, I was mainly concerned for the animal’s well-being and wanted them to graze in lush green fields of grass, with room to roam, before they ended up on my dinner plate! Then as my research progressed I found out how much HEALTHIER naturally raised meat and eggs are for you. A chicken who forages and a steer who sustains on high quality grass have different nutritional makeups than cows and chickens that are fed grain (which, by the way, is not a natural diet for them). Have you ever compared a deep golden colored egg yolk from a pastured chicken to a pale yellow conventional egg yolk? You can actually see (and taste) the difference! For more details take a look at these articles if your interested:
Recipes featuring Pasture-Rasied Beef:
Bacon & Cheddar Stuffed Sliders
Grilled Steak & Veggie Pasta Salad
(Sources: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/expert-answers/grass-fed-beef/faq-20058059, http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp, http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/eggs-zl0z0703zswa.aspx)
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