Hi food lovers and "green" activists!
 
Looking through a magazine the other day, I ran across a website about grass-fed vs. grain fed animals and thought I'd share a bit of info on why it's worth the extra $$ to buy grassfed animal products, not just because the animals are treated humanely, but also because the nutritional value is much higher.
 
Here a few of the facts found on www.eatwild.com
 
Grass fed animals, including poultry that are allowed to "pasture" give us these nutritional benefits:
1.  lower total fat
2.  higher in beta-carotene (a major anti-oxidant)
3.  higher in VitE
4.  higher in B1 and B2
5.  higher in magnesium, calcium, potassium
6.  higher in total omega 3s (the ones found in fish)
7.  a very healthy ratio of omega 6 to omega 3  (1.65 vs 4.84)  We're looking to keep the ratio of 6s to 3s to be closer to 1:1 or 2:1 not 5:1!
8.  higher in CLA, a potent cancer fighter  (this is true for good old butter, too!)
9.  higher in another acid that can be transformed into CLA
10 lower in the saturated fats that are linked with heart disease. (we now know that not all sat fats are bad - coconut oil, for example is fab!)
 
We have as a goal to lower our omega 6 intake and raise the omega 3 intake.  Animals raised on grains like corn and soy, are, yes, big providers of omega 6 fats - the inflammatory ones. So, if you eat animal protein, it's best to try to eat animals that have a higher omega3 ratio to omega6, which would be wild caught fish (natural omega 3 providers) and animals that are pastured on various grasses. The way they used to be.  So, if you eat animal protein, GO WILD!
 
You can get grass fed meat at Celestino's on 17th St beside Mi Casa, Henry's, and most Whole Food type markets.  Also available from various family farms via the internet.  It's wonderful to support these young couples who raise their own grass fed meat and are willing to ship it to you for very competitive prices.  Check www.openspaces.com  which is in Calif, near Sacramento.
 
Poultry that is allowed to "pasture" instead of being fed grains exclusively, have up to 10x more omega 3 fatty acids!  At $4/doz, these eggs are still only 33 cents each and they are a perfect food!  (don't forget, cholesterol is not only not our enemy, it is of vital importance for manufacturing hormones and many other things.  It's oxidized cholesterol, from heated vegetable oils, especially deep fried oils, and all packaged refined baked goods, from crackers to chips to cookies to cereals that oxidize cholesterol.)
 
A high plant intake protects us from much of this oxidation. Eat "green" and eat things that are green and eat things that eat green things :-)
(Try to say that with a mouthful of broccoli!)