With beef being such a staple in many New Zealand households, it's crucial to make sure the beef we eat is not only flavoursome and tasty but importantly healthy and nutritious. That's where grass-fed beef comes in.

So what even is ‘Grass-fed beef’?
 
Grass-fed beef is exactly what it sounds like… beef that comes from steers that are fed off a diet of 100% grass and other forages, rather than grain. Conventionally raised cattle are often fed a diet of corn and other grains, which can lead to health issues and a less nutrient-dense meat. This is still the case in many places around the world.

Beef at Green Meadows
 
We have always taken priority (and pride) in the environment that we can provide for our steers. Lush green grass grown in rich volcanic soil that’s been lightly salted by the nearby Tasman Sea, drinking some of the most purest potable mountain water from a local community water scheme and plenty of space to roam freely and graze happily.
 
Not only does this keep the cattle happy, hydrated and well nourished, it also contributes to the superior taste and texture of our meat.

So why grass-fed?
 
When we asked Joe, why he’d prioritised an exclusive grass-fed diet, he said "Grass is the natural food of Bovines. Cattle have 4 stomachs perfectly evolved to digest grass. When feeding grass (or grass silage or hay), there is no need to supplement the animals with anything else. Unlike grain feeding, grass is a perfectly balanced food and cattle will not get sick from over eating grass. There are times of the year when grass is higher in protein, higher in sugars, or higher in carbohydrates. For example, when the grass goes to seed the cattle will lay down fat quicker, or in early spring grass has more protein, so cattle will lay down more muscle.  These are the vagaries of the natural farming cycle.”

Grass-fed beef is also known to yield a better nutritional quality -being higher in vitamins A & E, healthier omega 3:6 ratio and lower in fat than grain fed beef. So with all of this presented, why wouldn’t one reach for grass-fed over grain-fed! Food trends over the recent years have certainly supported this as a preferred option for consumers all across the globe.

Why make the switch?
 
We may be a little bit biased over here at Green Meadows, but we’re all for the full bodied taste that it brings to our beef. The combination of a pristine pure Coastal Taranaki environment, paired with an 100% grass-fed (and silage grown strictly on the farm) diet makes for juicy, tender and flavoursome beef! We can’t really describe it as anything other than pure –for the steers, the environment and for you.
 
So next time you're doing your weekly grocery shop or ordering beef, choose grass-fed and feel good about what you're putting into your body.