Eating 100% grass-fed beef offers some nutritional advantages over eating conventional grain-fed beef. Some of the nutrients found in wild grasses make their way into the meat, and the practice of grazing in grass pastures may also change the nutrition profile of the beef.

While standard beef has next to nothing in the way of omega-3 fats, grass-fed beef provides these essential fats thanks to small amounts found in pasture grasses. Omega-3 content of grass-fed beef varies but is as high as that found in some seafood.

Due to the rich carotene content of pasture grasses, this type of beef also contains much more of these health-boosting pigments that combat cancer and other diseases than found in conventionally raised beef.

Compared to conventional beef, studies show that 100% grass-fed beef supplies much more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a type of fat shown to boost heart health, strengthen the immune system and play a role in weight control.

Like regular beef, grass-fed beef is also an excellent source of protein (50% of the Daily Value), vitamin B12 (more than 60% of the DV) and more than 30% of the DV for zinc, a mineral that supports a healthy immune system. All this great nutrition in just under 200 calories per 3½-ounce serving.

Article originally published in August of 2016 and updated in August of 2022.