I think few people are as passionate about food as I am, so if you aren’t over the moon about beef, for example, try to stay with me. This may get emotional.

Nousuon is a company I came across about four months ago. What intrigued me about the company was twofold. First, the product was of a quality I hadn’t seen before, and second, it allowed me as a gym owner to retail beef to my students without owning a huge meat locker.

A little history check on the company will tell you it’s a new brand that sources its beef from grass-fed, grass-finished cattle in Oregon. The name, Nousuon, is a palindrome of a Latin term, nous, that means, “deeper learning.” I see the connection with the name to a deep-rooted understanding of quality. This beef is far from surface level.

And as for the ground beef, my experience is that it tastes incredible. When you order from Nousuon, you receive a cooler at your doorstep with twenty individually wrapped one-pound packages of America’s finest ground beef. Now, I’ve sought out grass-fed beef for some time, and I’m not disillusioned to the concept of grain-finished meat, which often gets the “grass-fed” distinction on store shelves when in actuality the cows are bulked up on grains just before slaughter. Nousuon is grass finished, meaning the cow’s entire life is spent grazing open grasslands.

Though they are rare, there are plenty of other grass-finished beef suppliers out there. Why would I choose Nousuon over any other grass-finished product? These guys are the first I’ve seen to go the extra mile to test omega-6 and omega-3 levels in their beef. As a person in the omega-3 business, I was blown away. Right there on the nutrition facts below the standard protein, carbohydrate, and fat breakdown, there are omega-6 and omega-3 facts. The beef I cooked up, for example, had 23mg of omega-6 and 34mg of omega-3.

These guys aren’t dosing their cattle with fish oil, either (though, that could be good business for me). This is the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio that naturally occurs in these cows living in their natural habitat. As an omega-3 geek, I felt like I was looking inside omega-6 and omega-3 ratios in their purest sense, un-supplemented, and without modern intervention for the first time.

The second major reason for going with Nousuon, in my opinion, may not apply to everyone, but as a business owner Nousuon’s distributor program allows me to retail beef to my students at 10 Essential Items To Outfit Your Home Gym without the hassle of storing beef and managing a perishable inventory. Signing up was quick and painless. We just have a link on our website so students can place their own orders to be shipped directly to their house.

For just $6.00 per pound, or $7.50 per pound once you factor delivery, this was quite a treat for me to add not only to my meals at home, but my business as well. Now, I just look forward to Nousuon to expand their lineup of cuts of meat.

Nousuon ground beef is available at nousuon.com for $6.00/lb.

The post Product Review: Nousuon Ground Beef appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Over the past few years of taking on clean eating, I’ve become quite carnivorous. In my previous life as a side-dish super fan, I enjoyed meat, but didn’t necessarily embrace it. These days I’ve grown a remarkable love for animal protein, especially beef. When I caught word that I’d be receiving some grass-fed beef from TX Bar Organics, I just about did a somersault. Not only do I enjoy meat, but quality, grass-fed beef is something I am always willing to pay for.

TX Bar Organics raise their cattle 120 miles north of Sacramento, in Northern California. With a great deal of pride in taste and quality, TX Bar Organics is recognized by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) with a “Step 4” rating. The GAP is non-profit organization that is most often associated with their colored 1-5 Step rating system seen in Whole Foods meat counters. Step 4 is an impressive distinction that indicates animals on the farm are pasture centered and get to roam freely. Herein lies the grass-fed value that helps differentiate TX Bar Organics from other meat producers.

If you’re not as passionate about meat as I am, you may be wondering what the big deal about grass-fed, organic meat is. Does it taste better? Is it healthier? And, why is it more expensive?

The cost of meat is driven down significantly as commercial farmers consolidate cattle living quarters, cheapen their food supply with grains, and get them to slaughter weight faster with drugs and an unnatural diet. Grass-fed meat shuns these commercial practices and, as a result, is more expensive than traditional factory farmed beef. Grass-fed cattle take up more space roaming the land freely and by eating a normal grass diet they take more time to grow into full size. These costs are reflected in the price you see as a consumer.

Morally, one could agree that grass-fed cattle live a more healthy, natural life; whereas factory farmed cattle have a bit less humane experience. In addition to moral motives to support grass-fed meat, there is a nutritional advantage to consuming grass-fed meats, as well.

Cows are ruminants. They are meant to eat grass. When cows consume cost-saving grains, their health conditions suffer. Grain-fed cows have a much higher fat content and are often put on a number of antibiotics to help relieve the damaging inflammatory effects of their diet. How these animals are fed has an effect on the omega-3 and omega-6 levels inside the meat. Grain-fed beef is much more rich in pro-inflammatory omega-6, whereas grass-fed cattle are higher in omega-3, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. When you eat meat you also consume the fatty acids inside, so by choosing grass-fed beef you choose a less inflammatory diet.

As for the taste, grass-fed beef has been described as having more of a “gamey” taste. For some, this is a more natural and desired taste, while other palettes prefer more fatty meat like grain-fed beef. In my opinion, any taste issues are a matter of previous experience. Folks that tend to favor grain-fed meat over grass-fed meat by taste are likely doing so because it is what they’re used to.

With specific regards to TX Bar Organics, I tried the ground beef, the rib eye, and the top sirloin. All three were incredible; especially considering I just lightly seasoned them with salt and pepper. I also enjoy beef medium rare. It’s wonderful to enjoy beef for it’s own taste rather than drowning it out with overpowering seasonings and marinades, or overcooking it. With quality meats, I find that there’s less reason to do that.

In my opinion, eating quality meats like that of TX Bar Organics has a value beyond incredible taste. Understanding the quality standards by which TX Bar Organics’ products are produced coupled with the health benefits of grass-fed beef makes for a confident consumer. I would love to see what the world would look like if we, as consumers, forced the rest of the meat industry to meet the standards set by TX Bar Organics.

Mixed meat packages are available at txbargrassfed.com.

The post Product Review: TX Bar Organics Grass-Fed Beef appeared first on Breaking Muscle.