The quality of the food we eat

comes from the quality of the food our food eats.

~Nutritionist Jonny Bowden

It used to be said, “You are what you eat.”  Now nutritionists are posing the question: “Are we what THEY eat?” Does the diet of livestock, fish, and poultry determines the quality of what we ingest daily?

Salmon is a great food, one of the best sources of omega-3 in the world.  Omega-3s are found in wild salmon and grass-fed animals. These good fatty acids help promote heart and brain health and control inflammation, circulation, memory, and blood sugar. But farm-raised salmon is not the same as wild salmon.  It’s not even the same color.  The great pink hue of wild salmon comes from it dining on krill and shrimp in the ocean.  But farm-raised varieties are fed grain, and have less of the good omega fats and color has to be added to give the fish a more natural look.

Our steaks and burgers are also altered by what cattle eat.  Cows are foragers, their bodies designed to convert grass into meat or milk.  Beef cattle do less well in a feed lot on a corn-fed diet meant to fatten them quickly and they require antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick.

Feeding grain to cattle also changes the levels of omega-3s and omega-6s in their meat.  Omega-3 reduces inflammation and protects the heart while excesses of omega-6 do just the opposite.

Since grass-fed beef is so popular now, many St. Louis restaurant offer it on their menu.  Check this listing for places in St. Louis where grass-fed beef is available. Take away: Read your labels; know your butcher.