Grassy truths.

Time gets the best of us and time definitely flies for us at smallbatch, but we wanted to make a post completely inspired by our previous post (Grass fed, and happy.) regarding the health benefits of grass farming. Many people wonder what the difference is...is there any? So we decided to round up our knowledge on grass fed and pick-up some new stuff along the way. 

Most of us have been led to believe that meat is meat no matter what the animal has been fed and that the nutritional value of it's products remains the same. Not true. The nutrient content of an animal's diet has a profound influence. Therefore, the difference between grain fed versus grass fed animal products is huge. Here's the basic rundown.

Grass fed tends to be much lower in fat than grain fed products. When meat is lean it is known to lower cholesterol. Lower in calories as well.

Enter extra Omega-3's. Grass fed is low on "bad" fats including saturated fat, and it gives 2-6 times more of a type of "good" fat omega 3-fatty acids. Omega 3's are heart friendly, essential for brain function, and may reduce the risk of cancer. Many studies show that for both animals and humans essential fatty acids can slow the growth of cancers and keep them from spreading. Grain fed contains Omega 6 fatty acids a diet too rich in these can lead to obesity, diabetes, immune system disorders and cancer.  The reasons for going with grain fed are simple. The animals grow fatter faster. Grain is a higher concentrated force of energy than grass and provides way more calories. The end result with grain feeding is fattier meat.

Oh my, there you have it! Grass fed is here to stay and there are some wonderful ranches making this possible. As for us we love using grass fed in all of our batches, dogs and cats alike love the taste. You can see the difference in their energy, beautiful coat and lean muscles.