Wednesday, October 03, 2007
How To Pick Meat
Another trip to the store, another package of mystery meat -- that is, beef and poultry labeled with so many confusing terms you wonder if it's as healthy as it sounds.
Can't tell a cage-free from a certified organic?
Neither could we, until Naomi Lewis, MS explained the options:
A GOOD CHOICE: Products labeled free-range or cage-free, because these animals may have experienced the outdoors. The downside? Maybe they haven't -- loose laws mean they only have to be exposed to space and sunlight (an open door passes the test).
A BETTER ONE: Certified organic meat and poultry. It was produced without synthetic fertilizer, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides or genetically engineered ingredients; however, the animals may have been raised in cramped quarters.
THE BEST: Grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken and pork: these animals eat what they're inclined to eat in the wild (instead of difficult-to-digest corn and soybeans). Bonus: The meat is lower in fat.
AVOID meat labeled "natural," which means only that it's free of artificial flavors, colors, and chemical preservatives, but says nothing about an animal's diet or treatment.
For help finding healthy meats near you, go to eatwellguide.org.
Can't tell a cage-free from a certified organic?
Neither could we, until Naomi Lewis, MS explained the options:
A GOOD CHOICE: Products labeled free-range or cage-free, because these animals may have experienced the outdoors. The downside? Maybe they haven't -- loose laws mean they only have to be exposed to space and sunlight (an open door passes the test).
A BETTER ONE: Certified organic meat and poultry. It was produced without synthetic fertilizer, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides or genetically engineered ingredients; however, the animals may have been raised in cramped quarters.
THE BEST: Grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken and pork: these animals eat what they're inclined to eat in the wild (instead of difficult-to-digest corn and soybeans). Bonus: The meat is lower in fat.
AVOID meat labeled "natural," which means only that it's free of artificial flavors, colors, and chemical preservatives, but says nothing about an animal's diet or treatment.
For help finding healthy meats near you, go to eatwellguide.org.
Labels: healthy dining, meat, organic
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