clipped from www.timeout.com

Pasture-ized meat

Nancy Davidson

So, why might you want to feed this, rather than the grain-fed variety, to your family? “Grass-fed beef tends to be lower in fat and calories, with a higher percentage of essential fatty acids—the good fats,” says Lisa Young, Ph.D., RD, a nutrition consultant and adjunct professor at New York University. Cows that eat grass store more omega-3s (the same fatty acids as in fish, but without the risk of mercury) and conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), both of which are believed to reduce the risk of cancer. Grass-fed beef also poses little risk of mad cow disease, because the beasts never ingested any animal by-products (a concern with grain-fed cows).

Before you alter your shopping list, be aware that the USDA’s “grass-fed” label doesn’t guarantee that meat is certified organic—that is, from cows raised on 100 percent organic feed, without hormones or antibiotics.