Love Your Heart with Grass-fed Meat & Sustainable Seafood
More and more, consumers are making the connection between how their food is grown and raised and its nutritional value. Studies are starting to show that healthy soils produce healthier vegetables and that sustainably raised animals produce meat higher in the nutrients we need.
So, what are sustainably raised meats and why are they good for you? The term we hear most often these days is grass-fed, which often pertains to beef, but can also pertain to other meat, including bison. Although the USDA recently withdrew its grass-fed standards, according to the American Grassfed Association, grass-fed animals are “those that have eaten nothing but grass and forage from weaning to harvest, have not been raised in confinement, and have never been fed antibiotics or growth hormones.” The association also lists some reasons why grass-fed beef is good for you, including studies that show grass-fed meat is higher in Omega 3s and CLA — both important for heart healthy eating.
Sustainably raised meats can also include pork and poultry, including chicken, turkey and duck. There isn’t a formal association for these meats (that I’m aware of) that defines sustainable chicken or pork. However, the consensus is that sustainably raised animals are grown using methods that ensure the animals have continuous access to the outdoors, are allowed to forage for food naturally and are not treated with growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics. In addition, sustainably raised meat is produced using systems that restore, improve and/or sustain the health of the land and surrounding communities.
And, we can’t forget to mention seafood. Many types of seafood are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which (like grass-fed beef) studies have shown are important for boosting immunity and reducing risk of heart disease, strokes and cancer. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program has worked hard to supply consumers with good information about the best fish to eat. In fact, they have a “Super Green List” that lists fish that are both good for you and harvested or farmed using sustainable methods, such as wild-caught salmon from Alaska.
Good news! Whenever you shop Lakewinds, you can trust that the meat and seafood you put in your cart have been carefully sourced. In fact, we make it easy for you because we strive to only offer products that foster a healthy animal, a healthy planet and most importantly, a healthy you.
We encourage you to learn more about our product standards. You can read more on our quality standards page of the website or come into our stores and talk to our staff. Our meat and seafood experts are always available to talk to you about their favorite farms and fisheries and help you select the best meat and seafood for you, your heart and your family.