MORE: The 8 Cruelest Foods You Eat One important thing to point out, though, is that you won’t be able to find all your meat “grass-fed.” Only certain animals can survive solely on grass and plants, and can thus be given this label. These include cows, bison, lambs, and goats that freely feed on pastures most of the year and hay in the winter. Other animals, including pigs and chickens, need other foods to thrive. Your best and healthiest bet for these are “pasture-raised” varieties, which means that these animals were given free access to fields and ate a mostly natural diet consisting of grass, weeds, fruits, vegetables, and insects that may have been supplemented with grain. Meat simply labeled “organic,” on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily mean an animal had access to pastures or fed on grass and plants. They may have been fed a diet of organic grain with little access to the outdoors. But organic and grass-fed or pasture-raised is always a good thing. A couple shopping tips: If you’re buying grass-fed meats, specifically, make sure they’re labeled “100% grass-fed.” Otherwise, says Schoenfeld, producers may have supplemented an animal’s diet with grain, even if they were also fed grass (sometimes this is called grain-finished). Not a fan of the grass-fed price tag? Don’t be afraid to try unusual cuts that can be significantly less expensive such as oxtail, liver, tongue, and shank—many of these contain additional nutrients and important amino acids and fatty acids that the more expensive steaks don’t have. “Pasture-raised” meats may not be available in all mainstream grocery stores, so try your local farmers’ market. If you’re having trouble finding either grass-fed or pasture-raised meats, try an online retailer like US Wellness Meats, which works with local farmers around the country to bring quality meats right to your doorstep; or use the directory on eatwild.com for information on local farmers that supply these products. MORE: Would You Eat Bunny Meat?
