Healthy Homemaking Series: Better Meat

Baby Step 23 - Finding Better Meat Sources (Only 3 steps left!)

Challenge: Research a source of better quality meat, and commit to replacing one item regularly purchased.

Why: Today's meat and poultry sources are of inferior quality to those even just a few decades ago.  They have higher percentages of fat because they don't get exercise, they're often sick because of crowded living conditions and then treated with antibiotics, and they are eating foods they were never intended to which causes toxins to build up in their body and be passed on to those who eat them.

Grass Fed Beef 

How: Brad and I recently became vegetarians, and thus this step did not apply to us.  In a post soon after this series finishes, I will be explaining our reasons for becoming vegetarian.  For this post, however, I will be passing along Stephanie's information for you to consider.

Be informed about what you are purchasing.  Carefully read labels.  Ask questions to farmers or meat shop employees.  This is the basic criteria to look for:
Beef - primarily grass fed, free range, no cottonseed meal or soy protein, no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics
Poultry - free access to pasture, not confined (free range), able to eat insects,worms, etc, no hormones or antibiotics

The easiest way to locate better sources of meat is to ask around.  Talk to people at local health food stores, at farmer's markets, nutritionists, naturopaths, farmers, or others you know who are trying to eat better.

Wild game is an excellent option as well including deer, buffalo, moose, duck, geese, pheasant.

Free Range Chicken

Where do you purchase your meat?

PS - I see I have some new followers, so I wanted to let you all know that there is The Wife Life page on Facebook as well, if you search for it.  I update when I post new blogs as well as use it to share interesting articles, videos, or photos I find online that relate.