The Red, White, and Green

Photo via Flickr: Ayogist

I know, I know — it’s a bit odd to be posting about burgers on Meatless Monday. But let’s be realistic: The whole reason you’ve likely embraced the MM movement is because you are, in fact, a meat eater on the other days of the week. So let’s talk about something that doesn’t get addressed often enough in the whole vegetarians vs. meat-eaters debate, and that is what kind of meat you should be eating when you’re not sucking down sprouts and tofu.

And that, my friends, is grass-fed. As in the grass-fed sliders served at Los Angeles’ food truck sensation the Patty Wagon. Why grass-fed?

• No fossil fuels, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. Grazing cows eat grass; factory-farm fed livestock are fed corn that comes at a cost of about 1.2 gallons of oil per bushel.
• It’s good for the land. Managed grazing returns vital nutrients (via the cows’ natural fertilizer) to the soil, helping to reduce erosion and fight water pollution.
• It’s healthier. Grass-fed beef has significantly less saturated fat than the factory-farmed version, not to mention higher amounts of the heart-healthy stuff like beta carotene, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids.

And let’s not forget about taste. While Americans have become accustomed to the heavily marbled taste of corn-fed beef, a lot of carnivorous connoisseurs actually prefer the leaner taste of grass-fed. Do these Patty Wagon sliders look any less scrumptious than a fast-food burger?

Photo via Flickr: Nomsnotbombs

Not all of you have access to the Patty Wagon (sucks to be you!), so to find out where to get your grass-fed beef and other meatless animal products (eggs and dairy also come in grass-fed varieties), check out Eatwild.com. And remember: Grass-fed food costs more than factory farmed, but by splurging only on the good stuff, you won’t be able to eat meat every day — which is the way it should be.

–Jennifer Grayson

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed