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Three Reasons Why My Family Eats Venison Over Beef

Three Reasons Why My Family Eats Venison Over Beef

It might be the nutritional profile or the desire to curb environmental degradation from commercialized farming.

Whatever the case may be, venison is becoming a top choice for anyone looking for a healthy alternative to a Styrofoam, plastic-wrapped steak from the grocery store.

I not only get a healthy intake of organic meat from eating venison, I also reduce carbon emissions by up to 75% for that particular meal. For me these three reasons alone make it hard to say no to eating venison over beef.

Health

There are volumes of information out there about the health risks associated with the consumption of red meat. These health concerns revolve around the unnatural diets, enhanced growth rates, and man-made antibiotics used on animals raised in the commercial food industry. While grass-fed beef eliminates a lot of this tinkering from the production process, it still doesn’t put beef on the same level as venison. Venison is proven to have far less saturated fats than beef. And overall, venison has an equal or greater amount of vitamins and minerals.

The chart below compares 3oz servings of top round beef and top round venison:

FATS

           
 

Calories

Protein

Fat per/gram

Saturated fat per/gram

   

Beef

138

25.6

3.2

1.3

   

Venison

129

26.8

1.6

0.9

   
             

Vitamins/Minerals

         
 

Niacin

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

Thiamine

Riboflavin

Iron

Beef

38%

38%

32%

7%

24%

15%

Venison

36%

30%

32%

14%

25%

20%

* Percentages are based upon Recommended Daily Values

     

Environmental Concerns

There is no question about it. The commercialized farming of meat products is one of the most destructive acts that we as humans  are doing to the earth. Environmental concerns about meat production have led to red meat getting put on a list of dietary concerns. But venison? It’s a sustainable alternative to eating commercialized beef. While it would not be sustainable if everyone in the world did it, there is no way everyone will make the switch to hunting their own food.

For the 4% of the population that does hunt, venison is sustainable.

Organic by Nature

Organic foods are by definition grown in a manner that fosters the cycling of resources, promotes ecological balance, and conserves biodiversity. They do not use irradiation, industrial solvents, or synthetic food additives. Unfortunately, even food with an “organic” label is only required to be 95% organic. It makes you wonder what that 5% is.

My family doesn’t need to worry about things like this, because we eat venison. Venison fits the organic definition in every sense. It’s free range and sustainable—as organic as it gets. Of course, some argue that deer which feed on agricultural crops aren’t organic. That has no validity, however. There are no in-depth studies which state that deer hold any amount of contaminants from feeding on chemically-treated agricultural crops.

My family has been eating wild game for years now. The absence of commercialized meats is not something we miss. When we had children, our drive for sustainable and healthy alternatives to our diet was amplified. Now it’s a staple in our everyday lives. Venison defines our way of life. 

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