Is Grass-Fed Beef Healthier Than Grain-Finished Beef?

As ranchers, we want to raise the absolute best beef we can for our customers and their families.

When we began developing our beef program, we looked carefully at the different ways cattle could be finished. We considered animal health, what works within our own operation, and, of course, beef quality — including flavor, tenderness and consistency.

We work with a cattle nutritionist and have built a feeding program that works well for our cattle, our ranch and the beef our customers have come to love.

But there is a lot of information — and misinformation — online about grass-fed and grain-finished beef. So I wanted to take a little time to explain what those terms actually mean and what they don’t necessarily tell you.

That way, you can hear it straight from your rancher.

 

Grain-Finished Cattle Don't Spend Their Whole Lives Eating Grain

One of the biggest misconceptions about grain-finished beef is that the cattle spend their entire lives eating grain in a feedlot.

They don't.

Like grass-finished cattle, grain-finished cattle typically spend the majority of their lives grazing grass and eating forage.

The difference comes primarily during the finishing period.

Toward the end of their lives, grain-finished cattle receive a carefully balanced, higher-energy ration that includes grain along with forage, minerals and other feed ingredients.

On our ranch, we work closely with a cattle nutritionist to formulate that ration. We don't feed antibiotics or added hormones as part of our feeding program, and we grow many of the ingredients ourselves — including hay and barley.

For us, the additional work is worth it because we love the marbling, tenderness, consistency and flavor that our program produces.

 

"Grass-Fed" Doesn't Always Mean What You Picture

There are misconceptions on the other side of the conversation, too.

When most people hear "grass-fed" or "grass-finished," they probably picture cattle standing in a big green pasture eating grass until harvest.

Sometimes that's exactly what happens.

But not always.

There are also grass-finishing systems where cattle are kept in more confined settings and fed forage-based rations or pellets made from grasses and other approved forage ingredients. Depending on the particular labeling standard being used, that beef may still qualify as grass-fed.

That's probably different from what many consumers picture when they see the words grass-fed on a package.

Cattle finished exclusively on pasture can also require considerably more time to reach an appropriate harvest weight than cattle finished on a higher-energy ration. How long depends on genetics, forage quality, climate and management, but pasture finishing generally requires more land and more time.

Here in West Texas, that matters.

During drought, maintaining enough high-quality pasture to finish cattle for an extended period can be extremely difficult. Every ranch has to look at its climate, land, cattle and available resources and decide what system makes sense.

And here's another interesting example of why labels don't always tell the whole story: an older cow that has spent her life eating pasture and forage could technically meet many people's basic idea of "grass-fed beef."

But she's obviously very different from a young animal intentionally raised in a specialized grass-finishing program.

The words on the label simply don't tell you the entire story.

I don't say any of this to criticize grass-finished producers.

We have friends who raise and finish cattle exclusively on grass, and they do an amazing job. They've chosen a system that works for their ranch, their environment and the families they feed.

We've done the same.

There isn't only one "right" way to raise good beef.

 

Is There a Nutritional Difference?

There are nutritional differences between grass-finished and grain-finished beef — but they are much smaller than some marketing claims might lead you to believe.

Grass-finished beef generally contains somewhat higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and CLA.

Grain-finished beef tends to contain more monounsaturated fat, including oleic acid, and typically develops more marbling — which contributes to the tenderness, juiciness and flavor many consumers prefer.

But both grass-finished and grain-finished beef are highly nutrient-dense foods.

Both provide:

 Complete, high-quality protein

Iron

Zinc

Vitamin B12

Other important B vitamins and nutrients

Most importantly, research has not established that eating grass-finished beef instead of grain-finished beef produces a major difference in long-term health outcomes for the average consumer.

So while the nutritional profiles aren't identical, both can absolutely be part of a healthy diet.

 

Maybe We Should Ask Better Questions

Instead of simply asking:

"Is it grass-fed?"

I think there are better questions consumers can ask:

Who raised it?

How were the cattle cared for?

What did they eat throughout their lives?

How was the beef produced?

And do you trust the people raising your food?

 

Those questions tell you far more than a marketing claim on a package ever could.

That's one of the reasons we believe so strongly in knowing your rancher.

When you buy directly from a farmer or rancher, you don't have to guess what a label means. You can ask us.

 

And we'll tell you.

 

Your food dollars also send a message about the kind of food system you want to support. Whenever you're able, buy locally. Get to know the farmers and ranchers producing your food. Ask questions. Learn how your food is raised.

 

Most of all, buy from people you trust.

 

Because a label can tell you a little about your beef. Knowing your rancher tells you a whole lot more.