Healthy on a Budget: How to Make the Most of Grass-Fed Beef

Okay guys, let’s talk about how to incorporate high-quality grass-fed, pasture-raised meat & poultry into your diet – on a budget!

If you’re not familiar with why meat quality matters – here’s a little primer. In the US conventional beef is ‘grain-fed’ meaning cows are fed a diet of (often GMO) corn & soy to promote growth & increase the fat on the animal. Conventional cows are also often fed antibiotics & growth hormones. *If you want to be grossed out on what really goes down in factory farms, just google ‘CAFOs’ or watch Food Inc.

In contrast, grass-fed & grass-finished cows are fed their natural diet – grass. Regenerative farming takes it up a notch by allowing the animals to freely graze outside, and also utilize farming practices like crop rotation, and can actually put carbon BACK into the soil.

So aside from the planet & the animals, what does this mean for human health? Compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef has the following:

• Up to 5x the Omega-3s (the most anti-inflammatory omega-3)
• Up to 2x as much CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid – another anti-inflammatory fat)
• Grass-fed beef is an excellent source of bio-available iron, zinc, B vitamins, choline, phosphorus, & potassium

Oh, and I almost forget to mention – TASTE! When I’m cooking with Belcampo grass-fed beef, I barely have to do anything to it – a little salt & pepper and you’ve got yourself one of the best burgers or steaks of your life.

It’s no secret how much I love Belcampo – my absolute go-to for the highest quality, organic, regeneratively farmed beef, poultry & pork, raised right here in California (and female-founded!). I highly recommend learning more about their farms, animal welfare, and regenerative farming practices  – you will be seriously impressed. My partnership with Belcampo has been an absolute career highlight for me – I’ve loved, purchased from, and believed in the Belcampo mission for years before working them, and I know you’ll love them as much as I do! You can use code ELYSE10 for 10% off your Belcampo order! *This post contains affiliate links – as always, all opinions are my own.

Note: In today’s market. grass-fed, grass-finished, regeneratively-farmed will still always be more expensive than a typical grocery store brand that relies on CAFOs, government subsidies on soy & corn feed, etc., so eating this way will always be an investment. I personally believe in voting with my dollar for the type of food system I want to see in this country, but of course everyone has to do what works for their budget. I could rant on and on about our messed-up food system, and the injustice that health often comes at a higher price tag in this country, but all of this is to say, whether you opt for grass-fed meat 100% of the time or .01% of the time, absolutely no judgment here! Keep doing the best you can!

TOP TIPS & CUTS FOR GETTING THE MOST VALUE $ OUT OF HIGH-QUALITY MEAT

Since high-quality, grass-fed & grass-finished meat does come at a higher price tag, let’s talk about how to make the most of it! I’ve rounded up my top tips for being able to incorporate grass-fed meat into your diet (I aim for 1-2x week) to get the nutritional benefits, without breaking the bank.

1. GROUND BEEF & STEW MEAT ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Ground beef & stew meat are significantly less expensive per pound than steak cuts, and are extremely versatile. Whether it’s making burgers, taco meat, meatballs, soups, stews, shredded beef – the options are endless! DON’T SLEEP ON THESE!

2. GO FOR TOUGHER CUTS THAT REQUIRE SLOW COOKING

An InstantPot or Ninja Pressure Cooker is your friend here. Cuts like brisket or pork butt give you a bigger bang for their buck because they are traditionally more time-intensive to cook. On these cuts, the meat itself is tougher, and they have a big fat cap, which means a short cook time won’t work. But a long slow cook time….that fat melts into the meat and you have a HEAVENLY meal. Thanks to the invention of pressure cookers, you can get grade-A slow-cooked carnitas or brisket in an hour (compared to 3-6 hours in a slow cooker). Pork butt carnitas are up there with my all-time favorite meals.

image via Belcampo

3. LOOK FOR BUDGET-FRIENDLY STEAK CUTS

I loveeee a good Rib-Eye or New York steak, but if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, you can’t go wrong with a Flat Iron or a Chuck Steak. We regularly eat flat irons on their own, but they also make bomb tacos or salad additions.

image via Belcampo

4. ADD VOLUME THROUGH VEGGIES OR BEANS*

If you’re feeding a family (or just a very hungry boyfriend like me), the best way to stretch your dollar while serving high-quality meat is to add VOLUME through less expensive ingredients like veggies or legumes like beans and lentils (assuming not strict paleo or keto). Organic produce can be found for great prices at farmer’s markets, local CSA boxes or ‘ugly produce’ subscriptions (like ImperfectFoods). And organic beans & lentils come cheap in cans, and even cheaper through bulk bins at health food stores. For example, in my Paleo Beef Chili, I use grass-fed ground beef, but add volume through lots of veggies, and add kidney beans for my bf.

5. STOCK YOUR FREEZER & BUNDLE FOR SAVINGS

Like most foods, buying grass-fed / pasture-raised meat & poultry in bulk can give you major savings, not to mention keeping a freezer stocked ensures you’re 1) never letting meat go bad and 2) always have dinner options on hand. Belcampo offers free shipping on orders over $100, and my code ELYSE10 saves you an extra 10%! My favorite bundles for top savings are the Ground Beef Value Pack, the Freezer Stocker and stocking up on cuts like Brisket, Flat Iron Steaks, Stew Meat & Pork Butts.

you can use code ELYSE10 for 10% off & free shipping on Belcampo orders over $100!