By Jana du Plessis

While doing our rushed mid-week grocery shopping, most of us probably don’t give the label on our meat a second thought. Despite the extra effort, knowing whether the beef you are putting in your basket has been grass-fed or not, can make quite the difference, to the quality of your meal and the environment! Choosing a grass-fed cut of meat means that it will be both tastier and healthier, it also gives you a chance to support more humane methods of farming.

Greener on the other side
Animals that are grass-fed are reared in a natural environment with a grass-filled diet and are only be exposed to supplementation in infrequent cases where nutrient deficiencies may occur. This ultimately means that farmers do not resort to using unhealthy antibiotics or growth hormones to plump up their animals. These grass-fed animals will take the natural amount of time to grow to the right size and weight for slaughtering. With their natural diet and stress-free environment, they are sure to grow into healthy and happy creatures, with more flavoursome meat.

Go for grass!
Besides the superior taste, grass-fed meat also has plenty of health benefits. They are free from any animal by-products and antibiotics which means you won’t be ingesting any potentially harmful chemicals or unknown substances. The fatty composition of the meat is said to have a better omega 6 to 3 ratio, as well as a lower count of cholestrol-inducing fatty compounds – factors that are a serious plus for any health-conscious carnivore.

Get it here
Although grass-fed beef can be a little bit more difficult to get your hands on in SA, some major supermarkets do stock it – just be sure to check the packaging! If you’re interested in learning more about South African farms and suppliers, visit the Grass Fed Association of South Africa for more insight into their regulations for farms and their partners.