Over the last few years, our family has changed the way we eat – for many reasons, many of which we outlined HERE.
And although we don’t eat perfectly, we try to avoid unhealthy foods as much as we can – we eliminated shopping at the grocery store – we invest in a CSA weekly, and we no longer purchase processed milk from the grocery store but instead drink raw milk daily.
I am personally a stickler about avoiding GMO foods – fake, and processed foods you find in a box or, you pull out of the freezer. One thing I am passionate about (besides my love affair with Raw Milk and it’s health benefits) is good quality, grass fed meat.
We aren’t really big meat eaters – in fact, when we changed the way we ate a few years ago, we lightened up our meat consumption. Although we aren’t vegetarian or vegan, we might eat meat 1-2 times a month – usually not more than that.
One food that we avoid is conventional, factory farmed meat. I’m a big fan of grass fed animal producers – unfortunately every time you see grocery ads fill up your mailbox, you’ll see cheap, factory farmed meat all over the front page. That’s one of many reasons I try to avoid the grocery store entirely.
Many might say “but it’s cheap – and it’s all I can afford – and it’s better than nothing, right?”
I have always wondered why people continue to purchase factory farmed meat – perhaps they don’t truly realize where it comes from. OR perhaps they just assume that “any” meat is better than “no meat” — even if it is at the expense of their health down the road.
But here’s my question: is meat so important to your diet that it should be included regardless of where it came from and how it was raised?
Is Factory Farmed Meat Really Better than Nothing?
If you do any kind of search online, OR, you ask friends or family, they might just mention that they know pasture raised meat is better, it’s not realistic for most in terms of affordability. Therefore Factory Farmed Meat is “OK” to consume – after all, ANY meat is better than no meat – right?
And most might defend their stance by justifying their inability to purchase the higher price pasture raised beef, and will mention that eating pasture raised meat is simply something that is not attainable to the average family.
Is that really the best thing to do though?
I might be alone in my thinking, but I don’t think it’s OK at all to be supporting conventional agriculture as an informed consumer who knows the dangers behind factory farming.
Not only is it “not OK” to support them, I really don’t think the health benefits of eating ANY meat (including those from factory farms) is better than “no meat at all.”
Why Stay Clear of Factory Farmed (Conventional) Meat
If you aren’t familiar with factory farms, it might be wise to read back on our last post to see how horrific some of these animals are treated – how poorly they live and how they are handled.
These animals are the source of conventional meat, and processed milk – they are squashed together in small spaces, many walk amidst their own feces, and they have a horrible diet with drugs and antibiotics given to them to keep them alive so that they can be slaughtered.
Take a road trip past Cargill Farms in Texas, OR… the pig farms in Kansas and you might just agree that the pounds of waste that are excreted are a hazard to the air. It’s pretty disgusting to say the least.
The same thing goes on with chickens – they are piled on top of each other in chicken houses, that are (in most cases) closed and banned to the public. Guess they don’t want you to really see how your chickens are raised, right?
The worst part is that small farms that once prospered are now losing out to big scale corporations who have taken control of agriculture for profits – and the average consumer is blind to see the health implications and negative side effects that follow.
And although some foods might be better for you than nothing, factory farmed meat is definitely NOT one of those foods.
From the hormones and antibiotics, to the bacteria and disease that meat carries, the little nutritional benefit of meat from factory farms is negligible – and is NO comparison to the health benefits you would get from grass fed beef.
Is Cost a Factor in your Purchase of Grass Fed Meat?
A good majority of those who purchase conventional factory farmed meat regularly might just tell you that the reason they opt for that conventional meat is truly because of the cost savings.
After all, who can afford to pay for grass fed beef these days, when they can get 2-3 pounds of conventional {factory farmed} meat for the same price?
But….. the solution for a tight budget is NOT to say “well….. I’m doing my best, and right now this conventional meat is all we can afford – it’s better than nothing” while tossing in the grocery cart. Maybe I’m alone in my thinking, but turning your eye to the facts isn’t a solution at all.
If you truly can’t afford grass fed pastured meat, then make the changes you need to incorporate LESS meat into your diet. It’s really very easy to lessen your meat intake – and you can still get the protein you need from alternative sources without putting too much of a dent in your budget.
Remember.. if you are not buying meat, then you have more money to spend on other protein-rich items — such as:
Plant Proteins – such as beans, greens, and lentils, even potatoes. They make great soups and are versatile enough to make into salads.
Grass Fed Dairy – we can’t recommend Raw Dairy enough – there are so many health benefits from drinking Raw Dairy and you can read more about why we switched back on our last post.
Invest in lesser priced options of grass fed meat – find a farmer in your area that raises grass fed beef, and order 1/4, or even 1/2 of a cow. Instead of roasts and steak order ground beef – and learn how to cook with other vegetables (ie. Potatoes) to stretch out the meat. Order the bones for bone broth.
Eat more Eggs – and no, we aren’t talking about the cheap $.79 eggs from the grocery store. I’m talking about pastured eggs you can pick up from a local farm for $5 – $6 a dozen, OR, from friends who might have chickens. Ensure they are pastured – and if they are fed any grains at all that the grains are clean grains (not GMO corn). Pastured eggs are incredibly good for you and inexpensive, too!
Obviously it won’t always be easy to avoid factory farmed meat – if you head out to restaurants or eat at friends/family – in those cases, you can’t live perfectly and you have to realize that as long as you are eating good MOST of the time, then you are doing your best.
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