Sourcing Quality Meat, Dairy, Seafood, and Eggs

Sourcing high quality animal products might seem overwhelming and a little intimidating at first, but it’s honestly not all that hard with a little awareness. I also want to preface by ensuring that you know that I am not pushing a certain way of eating, and I respect everyone’s dietary choices. This is simply to help those of you who do eat animal products learn how to source the healthiest options. Also know that if purchasing these products are cost prohibitive that you can still get a lot of nutrients from conventional animal products. Just like you wouldn’t cut out fruits and veggies if you couldn’t buy all organic, you should not cut out animal products just because you can’t buy the most quality option. Let’s just get into it!

First of all, why does it matter? 

1.) The quality of the animal products we eat is impacted by the health of the animal (what they were fed and how they were treated). 

2.) I personally want to support local farmers and ones that treat their animals well.

What to look for and why

Different types of meat use different terms, so I’ll put them into different categories depending on what terminology they use:

Red meat (beef, bison, and buffalo) 

You want to look for grass fed and finished. This means that they ate grass their entire life. Grass fed only (not finished) means that they ate grass all the way up until their final 3-4 months, where they were then fed grains and corn. This is oftentimes used to help increase marbling and flavor, but it also increased their size at a very rapid rate. 

Why does it matter if they ate corn and grain or grass only? Because grass is a species appropriate diet for these animals and will lead to higher levels of omega 3's within their body fat. When they eat corn and grain, their fat will contain higher amounts of omega 6's, which are inflammatory and linked to metabolic disease.

If you can’t find grass-fed AND finished, grass-fed is second best OR just ensure you’re eating lower fat meat cuts. For example, picking the 93% lean ground beef opposed to the 85% lean ground beef. 

Chicken, turkey, and pork 

You want to look for pasture raised.  This means that they spent their life outside, in the sun (seasonally), foraging for insects and plants which are species appropriate for these animals. 

What about free range? Free range is not the same as pasture raised. The USDA does not mandate the quality, size, or nature of the outdoor area. It can be as simple as a small, fenced yard or concrete pad attached to the poultry house. It’s basically a marketing term. 

If you can’t find pasture-raised, just ensure you’re getting lower fat meat cuts, like chicken tenderloins. 

Seafood

You want to look for wild caught.  This means that it is harvested from natural environments rather than being farmed. Farm raised fish tends to have more heavy metals, pollutants, and omega 6's.

Dairy (milk, yogurt, butter, kefir) 

You want to look for grass-fed, full fat, and non-homogenized; possibly A2/A2

Why grass-fed? Cows that are grass-fed create milk that is higher in vitamin A, Vitamin E, and CLA. CLA is a type of fatty acid that is associated with a wide number of health benefits including improved body comp and reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

Why full-fat? If you skim off the fat, you’re missing out on the health benefits listed above!

Why non-homogenized? This is when the cream rises to the top. Homogenization increases the surface area of the milk, making it more susceptible to oxidation, and therefore inflammation.

What about A2/A2? Have you ever known someone who couldn’t tolerate cow’s milk, but COULD tolerate goat’s milk or sheep’s milk? This is typically due to the fact that most cow’s produce the A1 beta casein protein. Humans, sheep, and goat, on the other hand, all produce A2/A2 milk. A2/A2 milk is easier to digest because it doesn’t release the BCM7 peptide when it’s broken down. Some cows do have the A2 protein, though, and many people tolerate A2/A2 milk better than regular cow’s milk. This one isn’t a deal breaker for me, personally, because I’ve never has an issue digesting milk, but if I see it, I will usually get that option!

Eggs

You want to look for pasture raised.  This means that they spent their life outside in the sun (seasonally), foraging insects and plants which are species appropriate for these animals. As mentioned in a previous slide, “free range” is just a marketing term as is very unregulated by the FDA.

Where to find these products: 

Many grocery stores are starting to carry these options! However, you’re more likely to find them in the “health focused” stores like Fresh Thyme, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. You can also search for local farmers (which I will do a more in depth post on soon) by going to localharvest.com. They will show a list of local farmers and farmer’s markets in your vicinity! If you live in the STL area, I have been ordering my meat and milk (along with some yummy bone broth!) from Fed from the Farm in Sedalia, MO. They have the option for group pick-ups or delivery to your house (if you live within a certain mileage). In addition, Bolyard's Meat and Provisions in Maplewood has wonderful quality products. If you’re curious what my typical grocery routine is…Typically I will get a cut of chicken and a cut of beef from Bolyards or Fed from the Farm each week (about 2 lbs of each). I usually also have a big pack of wild caught salmon from Costco in my freezer to eat a couple times per week. Once we run out of that, I will go to the grocery store and just get the best I can find. I don’t overly stress over it. I get eggs from my parent’s chickens. I hope this helps, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!