Healthy Meatloaf? Depends on the Cow.

I have yet to meet a white man in this country who doesn't love meatloaf (it's not a popular Latin dish, as you might have guessed).  And I have yet to meet a man or woman (Gringo or Gringa) who doesn't have a "meatloaf" story from childhood.  It's a fact: we love our meatloaf, and we don't care how unhealthy it is, or fattening (everyone knows how bad red meat is for us, right?), cuz it's so damn good, especially when paired with a chunk of homemade mashed potatoes and gravy!

The thing of it is, I cooked up my own loaf of meat last night and not only was it tasty as can be, but it had its health benefits as well (say what?).

My secret?  It's all in the cow.

Is beef bad for your heart?  Your health?  Absolutely...if you're buying it from a grocery store, or getting your burgers from fast food joints, or digging into a T-Bone at most restaurants.  Here's why:

Scenario A: calf is born, raised on pasture, shipped to feedlot, fattened up with corn and "byproducts" of corn (you don't even want to know what that includes) as it spends a few weeks standing in its manure and receiving injections of antibiotics before being sent down the line to slaughter.

Scenario B: calf is born, raised on pasture, kept on pasture, no corn, no antibiotics, and not one hoof ever stepping into a feedlot.

The results of these two vastly different ways of producing the meat you put in your meatloaf?  A feedlot cow, aside from passing on its hormones and antibiotics to you, is just the red meat your doctor warned you not to eat.

But a grass-fed cow?  Totally different story: Especially if the meat is very lean, it can have one-third less fat than a grain-fed cow.  More good news?  Because meat from grass-fed cows is lower in fat, it is also lower in calories (who'd a thunk it?).  Meat from grass-fed animals also has two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids (the good fats...yes there are such a thing), which means it may reduce your risk of cancer.  Cool.

But all this makes sense when you think about it, right?  We are what we eat, and if we're eating sick and unhealthy cows...you get the picture.

Is organic meat more expensive than regular?  You betcha.  So here's a double health bonus that I've put to use in my own life: I eat organic meat, but I eat less of it.  Besides, I'm a firm believer in the fact that we pay now or pay later.  There ain't no gettin' around that fact, as is evident by our exploding obesity crisis and our near-bankrupt health care system (or rather, "sick care" system).

So back to that meatloaf: start enjoying it again (along with all your other favorite meat dishes) and reap the health benefits by using organic grass-fed beef.  And if you need a little push in that direction (ooh boy you asked for it!), then watch the movie "Fast Food Nation" to see what's really going on in those slaughterhouses...if you're too squirmish for that, then read the book, that way you'll get the same info without the visuals.

And good luck in your search for a happier cow! 

Suzanna Quintana, Holistic Health Coach & Certified Foodie

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