Hi Friend,
Today's newsletter is all about meat. If you're a vegetarian, I completely understand if you want to skip this one😆! I was plant-based at one point myself and I respect this choice. I'll be back with more veggie-forward content soon!
However, if you do eat meat, I think there are some important considerations and caveats since this topic is fraught with mixed messages. Since I've answered lots of one-off questions in the past, I wanted to share a few of my favorite resources and provide a high level guide for my fellow meat eaters.
What's the best quality meat? In a perfect world, it would be organic, pasture-raised. However, this combo is hard to come by due to the high costs involved. The next best is pasture-raised chicken and pork. For beef and lamb, I recommend 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised. Next best is organic, but I would pick pasture-raised over standard organic meat any day. Organic meat is still factory-farmed, which typically means inhumane conditions, high environmental impact and a less nutritious end product.
A responsibly raised animal has a suitable diet for their biology and lots of space to move around outdoors, which means:
Healthier animals: they don't require the antibiotics and growth hormones that are given to animals living in squalor, eating diets that don't align with their biological makeup (e.g. cows eating GMO, glyphosate-doused grains). Free-roaming, grass-fed cows are much healthier than grain-fed cows living in confinement. Pastured chickens can be omnivores that forage as they're meant to. Healthier meat, greater nutrient density: less fat, fewer toxins and more nutrient-dense in terms of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, a healthier ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, and more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has immunoregulatory (immune-boosting and cancer-fighting) properties. Eggs are a great example of this point: they can be a wonderful source of vitamin D, but it really depends on how the chickens are raised. Since animals convert sunlight into vitamin D, eggs from pastured chickens have 3-6X more vitamin D than conventional--not to mention 2X the omega-3 fat, 4X more vitamin E and 7X more beta-carotene. More humane: animals raised in feedlots are chronically stressed from birth. Apart from the moral aspect of these conditions, their elevated stress hormones negatively impact the overall health of the animals and meat quality. Better for the planet: many experts argue that a regenerative farm with managed grazing is believed to actually help sequester carbon and create healthier soil. Raising plants and animals in a way that more closely mirrors what nature intended creates healthier ecosystems. More below!
Meat and climate change:
Is meat healthy?
This one is hotly debated and I've studied it from many angles. Personally, I think there's a range and it depends on the quality of the meat. I also think about it in the context of the rest of the plate. Is quality meat a consistent part of my diet as someone focused on optimal health? Yes. Is it the centerpiece of my meals? No; it takes up a relatively small amount of the real estate on my plate. And when great quality meat isn't available (i.e. eating out), my husband and I are much more likely to have a vegetarian meal.
Another informative podcast on this topic: The Pegan Diet: Eat Your Meat As Medicine
My favorite sources for quality meat: Local You can often find great options at farmers markets and small specialty markets that work directly with local farms (Google "pasture-raised meat near me"). Many farms also deliver to nearby towns and cities. In the Chicago area, I love Local Foods and I've also ordered from Seven Sons many times. Good Eggs was a favorite when we lived in the Bay Area - and they are expanding into LA this year!
National Thrive Market carries quality meat and wild-caught seafood. Get up to 40% off your first order and a free gift through this link. Cooks Venture - we've been buying their heritage chicken for years and they're now offering pork, beef and lamb. Outstanding quality, regenerative operation and great flavor. Use code Jessica for $20 off your order. Vital Farms Organic, Pasture-Raised eggs are my favorite. I've found them at Whole Foods Markets across the country.
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