Principles of Traditional Diets: Avoiding Processed Foods and the Menace of Seed Oils

Consuming processed foods is a real problem in the United States, especially when it comes to what our kids are eating. The latest research shows that children and adolescents aged 2-19 get a whopping 67% of their calories from ultra-processed, nutrient-poor foods.

Additionally, the 20 year study found:

“The greatest increase in calories came from ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat meals such as pizza, sandwiches and hamburgers, rising to 11.2% of calories from 2.2%. Packaged sweet snacks and treats such as cakes and ice cream were a runner-up, which made up 12.9% of calorie consumption in 2018, compared with 10.6% in 1999.”

We know processed food is a problem, and “avoid processed food” is common health advice for those seeking to lose weight or improve overall health. However, this advice may be too open to interpretation. What exactly is processed food? Which ones should we avoid? We’ve all heard to avoid added sugars, but what other ingredients are we consuming that have ill effects on our health?

Weston A. Price, a 20th century dentist, observed cultures without access to processed foods, and he determined that, as a consequence, these peoples had far superior health in comparison to modern Westerners. He traveled the globe and studied primitive cultures in an effort to restore knowledge lost in industrialized societies. The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is dedicated to educating people today about how to use traditional foods and therapies to heal from the diseases of modernity, using the diet of our pre-industrialized ancestors.

The WAPF has digested Price’s work and synthesized 11 principles to help guide our dietary choices. This article is the first in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. The first principle of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s “Principles of Traditional Diets” states:

“The diets of healthy, nonindustrialized peoples contain no refined or denatured foods or ingredients, such as refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup; white flour; canned foods; pasteurized, homogenized, skim or lowfat milk; refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils; protein powders; synthetic vitamins; or toxic additives and artificial colorings.”

— Weston A. Price Foundation

It’s no surprise that “refined foods”, “sugar”, and “high fructose corn syrup” are among the first to be named, but many readers may be surprised to see “white flour”, “pasteurized, homogenized milk”, “protein powders”, and “vegetable oils” to make the naughty list. These ingredients are incredibly commonplace in the packaged food supply, and avoiding them requires extra care. However, it is certainly worth the hassle.

What is the impact of processed foods?

Processed foods are everywhere, and in our busy lifestyles, avoiding them can feel challenging because many of our favorite convenience foods can be classified as “ultra-processed”. The impact of processed foods cannot be overstated.

Heavily processed foods have been shown to:

• Be addictive

• Raise LDL cholesterol

• Raise blood pressure

• Contribute to obesity

• Increase risk of cancer and death

• Increase risk of depression and mental health disorders

• Contribute to behavioral and attention problems in children

Benefits of Avoiding Processed Foods:

• Cut empty calories

• Have fewer acute illnesses and colds

• Have fewer days off from work

• Lower risk for chronic disease

• Room for more nutrient dense food in diet

• Enjoy simple, natural flavors

• Live longer

• Avoid artificial ingredients

Types of Processed Foods

There is a spectrum of processing when it comes to the term “processed foods”. Some foods must be processed for us to properly eat them, such as cleaning, chopping, peeling, soaking, cooking, and grinding. Many foods, usually deemed “snack foods” like cookies, cakes, sodas, and chips are obviously processed, and most health-conscious folks know to avoid them.

Other common foods that are processed but not considered “processed foods” include milk and seed oils.

Ultra-processed foods:

• Cookies

• Cakes

• Most snack foods

• Sodas

• Chips

• Hydrogenated oils and spreads

• Pizza 

Processed foods:

• Milk (pasteurization, homogenization, skimming fat)

• Seed oils

• Bread and bread products (muffins, tortillas, etc.)

• Microwave / ready meals

• Breakfast cereals

• Processed meats like lunch meats, sausages, bacon, and salami

Ultra-processed foods include many of our favorite foods. They’re our favorites because they are quite literally engineered to be addictive. 

Menace of Our Food Supply: Industrial Seed Oils

As Americans. we’ve not been warned enough about the dangers of consuming industrial seed oils. Seed oils, called the “hateful eight”, include soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, and rice bran oil. These oils are used in most processed foods because they are cheap, tasteless, and have a long shelf life.

A quick scan of food labels in your pantry and their ubiquity will surprise you.

Soybean oil and canola oil are the most commonly used seed oils in processed foods, and rice bran oil is most frequently used in restaurants. Seed oils are dangerous because the extraction, deodorizing, and bleaching process requires a significant amount of heat that causes the oil to become oxidized, creating dangerous free radicals and other byproducts that are harmful to human health.

Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which is known to overstimulate inflammatory processes in our bodies, increase LDL cholesterol, and contribute to the development of heart disease.

Many seed oils, called “vegetable oils”, are promoted by the USDA’s nutrition guidelines for their heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids and their low saturated fat content. However, seed oils have not been in the human diet for very long. Traditionally, fats have included butter and ghee, tallow (beef fat), lard (pork fat), coconut oil, and olive oil.

This “How It’s Made” video shows the lengthy industrial process required to produce canola oil. The seed is ground up, heated, extracted, and the final oil is bleached and deodorized to remove smell and taste. In contrast, making butter involves milking a cow and churning cream or making tallow requires melting and straining beef fat. The simplicity of the traditional fat is intuitively more aligned with the design of nature than the engineered oil.

Finally, heating seed oils during cooking produces trans fats and lipid peroxides. Trans fats are famous for being a major culprit contributing to heart disease, and lipid peroxides are a byproduct that damage DNA and cellular membranes, creating an environment for inflammation and chronic disease.

How to Use Traditional Fats

Saint John’s cows hard at work transforming hay into conjugated linoleic acid!

Processed foods and industrial seed oils are problematic foods, and making them a part of our regular diet has consequences we simply can’t ignore. Here’s what we can do instead.

Grass fed tallow is a nutrient-rich fat that is wonderful to cook with because it doesn’t oxidize at high cooking temperatures.

Tallow made from grass fed beef fat is:

• A rich source of anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid)

• Abundant source of minerals

• Excellent source of vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12

Tallow is great of cooking by sauteing, frying, and your cast iron skillets will love it! It’s also wonderful applied topically to the skin. Check out our guide to rendering tallow from our organic, grass fed beef fat.

Switching most of our diet to whole, unprocessed foods is a radical step every person can take toward feeling fullness of vitality and lengthening and improving their lives. Starting with traditional fats like tallow is an excellent starting point in nourishing ourselves!

Slow Cooker Grass Fed Beef Heart Recipe: How to Make a Hearty Shepherd's Pie

Beef heart shepherd’s pie, ready to eat!

Beef heart is a healthful cut of meat, particularly known for its rich source of CoQ10, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. Grass fed beef heart has a delightful taste and slightly chewy texture. After trying several beef heart recipes, this is by far my favorite way to incorporate nutrient-dense heart into my family’s diet. The key to this recipe is to cut that beef heart into small, bite-sized pieces. It’s well worth your time, as the small pieces help to mitigate an overly chewy texture.

This dish was a crowd pleaser and the eaters were pleasantly surprised to learn it was beef heart!

I’ve also had success making this recipe with half beef heart and half roast. I slow-cooked a roast and a beef heart together, mixed them together, and had enough meat to make several shepherd’s pies, putting some in the freezer for a busy weeknight dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 3-4 lb Saint John’s organic grass fed beef heart, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 3 bay leaves

• 3 Tbsp minced garlic

• 6-8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

• 3-4 carrots, peeled and diced

• ½ cup green peas

• ½ cup golden corn

• 1 cup mushrooms, diced

• 1 stick butter

• ¼ c milk

• Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Place the chopped onion, beef heart, bay leaves, and garlic into a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours, stirring every hour. (Added water is not needed, but you can add 1-2 cups of water if you prefer).

Beef heart and herbs in slow cooker.

2. Prepare the mashed potatoes by placing the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and boiling for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, saute the carrots in butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas to the pan and cook until mushrooms are soft, 3-4 minutes. When cooked, combine with beef heart and stir well.

4. When the potatoes are finished, drain and add back to the pot with butter and milk. Mash well and season to taste.

5. Add beef heart and vegetables to a 9x13 pan or large casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the meat and vegetables are bubbling.

Cooked beef heart and vegetables arranged in an even layer before being topped with mashed potatoes.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Topped with sour cream, sauerkraut

• Side of bread and butter

• Side of roasted winter squash or salad

Enjoy this preparation of grass fed beef heart! When you try this recipe, let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.

Farm News December 2021

Geronimo and Jonquil grazing during a light snowfall.

November seemed to alternate a few days of glorious thick misty fog with a few days of brilliant Indian summer, giving us a mild month easing towards winter, with a few minutes of snow on the 24th. I heard an old wives tale for our area, the Treasure Valley, saying that the date of the first snow is supposed to forecast approximately how many snows we'll get in a winter. Last year, first snow was in early December, and we only got three or four snows. This year, first snow on the 24th of November, and we've had half a dozen since, already. I don't know how it works, but I'm curious to see if the pattern holds. Also, friends' goats were late coming into season, which means they'll wait to kid until late spring, which may be another tell that this winter may be cold, wet, long, or all three.

Cosmos catching snowflakes with his tongue, Fig Newton in the background, and one of our young bulls, Hercules, on the right.

We started feeding hay to the milk cows and heifers in November, but we have grass pasture stockpiled for the steers' winter feeding, and the other day when it was snowing on green grass, it made for some fun pictures.

The three piglets on their first day at the farm.

In mid November, we got three piglets. Babe, Wilbur, and Hen Wen. We made a house inside a shed filled with hay, with a wall covering half the front of the shed to keep weather out, and half open to get several hours of sunshine. They also have some turf in front of the shed in their pen, and they have a grand time running in and out of the shed.

Sasha, Claire’s puppy, checking on the piglets.

They are extremely playful, and make most everyone smile who sees them. They enjoy life to the fullest, running and rolling and playing, and especially eating. They smack their lips with every bite. They are inquisitive, friendly, and happy, and my puppy Sasha loves them.

Weston A. Price Foundation: Using Traditional Foods and Therapies to Heal

Saint John’s cows grazing on organic pasture.

Keto. Paleo. Vegetarian. Carnivore. Plant-Based. Carb cycling. Anti-Inflammatory. GAPS….Ancestral?

All of these are familiar diet labels we frequently hear about. But what really works to have thriving, healthy people?

Many people today find themselves on a journey for better health, and they are wise to start with optimizing their food. There is an overwhelming amount of information, much of it conflicting, about what diet is the healthiest for each person. The truth is complicated, but it’s well within our reach to find what works.

The diseases of modernity are more pervasive than they once were, and are often called “lifestyle diseases”. Most medical professionals are woefully uneducated about how nutrition and lifestyle factors impact health, and there are many people who can improve their conditions and overall health by changing their food, movement, sleep, and sunshine.

There’s an adage that if your great-grandmother didn’t eat it, you shouldn’t recognize it as food either. There is wisdom to be found in eating an ancestral diet, the diet of your pre-industrialized ancestors and the diet your genes expect.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a pillar of the ancestral nutrition movement, and is dedicated to spreading information about how to use traditional foods and therapies to heal from the diseases of modernity.

Weston A. Price, DDS. Photo copyright Weston A. Price Foundation

Who was Weston A. Price?

Weston A. Price, DDS was a Cleveland dentist who travelled the globe and documented the diets and health of isolated, nonindustrialized peoples untouched by modern foods. As a dentist, he was naturally interested in palette formation and dental health and how traditional foods supported healthy skeletal development.

Astonishingly, he found a variety of tribal peoples were in excellent health with no cavities and no need for orthodontia. He observed their facial structure was beautiful and their elderly lived long and healthful lives.

“The photographs taken by Dr. Weston Price illustrate the difference in facial structure between those on native diets and those whose parents had adopted the “civilized diets of devitalized processed foods. The “primitive” photos on the left show a wide, handsome face with plenty of room for the dental arches. The “modernized” children on the right show children born to parents who had abandoned their traditional diets, have narrow faces, crowded teeth, and reduced immunity to disease.” - Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, photos copyright Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation

All About the Weston A. Price Foundation

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is a nonprofit charity dedicated to disseminating information about the work of Weston A. Price, specifically information related to food, farming, and the healing arts.

The WAPF is dedicated to “restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research, and activism, and it supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, community-supported farms, organic and biodynamic farming, honest and informative labeling, pasture-feeding of livestock, prepared parenting, and nurturing therapies.”

The WAPF publishes information about the characteristics of traditional diets found by Dr. Price and they make it easy by keeping a trove of recipes and shopping guides.

Why this Matters for Grass Fed Beef

One of the pillars of traditional diets is “eat beef, lamb, game, organ meats, poultry, and eggs from pasture-fed animals.”

For most of human history, we have thrived on grass fed beef (and other meats) because grasses are the species-appropriate diet for cows and other ruminants.

We know that, compared to grain fed beef, grass fed beef is:

• 10X higher in vitamin A

• 3X higher in vitamin E

• Substantially higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium, & B vitamins

• Lower in cholesterol

• An abundant source of anti-cancer conjugated linoleic acid

• Free of GMOs

• Free of synthetic fertilizers

• Free of hormones and antibiotics

• Free of glyphosate and other pesticides or herbicides

We support the efforts of the Weston A. Price foundation because we know that nature cannot be improved upon, and returning to traditional ways of eating has restored the health of many in our community. We are proud to continue our family legacy of offering quality organic, grass fed, grass finished beef to the Treasure Valley.

Instant Pot Osso Bucco Recipe: A Comforting, Nourishing Dish

Instant Pot osso bucco

Osso bucco is a classic northern Italian preparation of beef shank that is tender, comforting, and extra delicious due to the presence of bone marrow. Bone marrow is a nutrient dense food, and it’s a bountiful source of vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B1, and calcium.

Traditionally, beef shank is slow braised for hours, but this recipe uses the pressure function of Instant Pot to speed up cooking time. This osso bucco recipe is perfect for the holiday season when families are gathering round to celebrate and spend time together. The meat is tender and full of grass fed flavor, and the bone marrow is silky and savory, a real treat!

This osso bucco recipe was inspired by this blog post.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Saint John’s beef shanks

• ¼ cup flour

• 2 Tbsp fat (oil, lard, tallow, butter)

• Salt and pepper

• 1 onion, diced

• 3-4 carrots, peeled and diced

• 3 stalks celery, diced

• 2 Tbsp minced garlic

• 1 cup dry white wine*

• ½ cup broth (beef works best)

• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

• 1 can San Marzano tomatoes (14.5 oz), chopped

NOTES:

* One can substitute ½ cup apple cider vinegar mixed with ½ cup water for dry white wine.

METHOD

Seasoning Saint John’s beef shanks.

1. Season the beef shanks with salt and pepper then coat lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.

2. Select “Saute” setting on Instant Pot and when the display shows “HOT”, add 2 Tbsp cooking fat. When the fat is melted, sear the meat until browned on both sides, 2 minutes per side. Set meat aside.

3. While Instant Pot is still on “Saute” setting, add onion, carrots, and celery to pot and cook until somewhat soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, taking extra care to not allow the garlic to burn.

4. Pour in white wine and cook until it is reduced to half the volume.

5. Add rosemary, oregano, broth, and seared beef back to the pot. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir well.

Osso bucco ingredients added to Instant Pot.

6. Select “Manual” setting and cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. When the cooking cycle is complete, release pressure after 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy while hot!

Instant Pot osso bucco

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Bread is a must, spread the bone marrow on top!

• Roasted root vegetables or mashed potatoes

• Sauteed winter greens

Enjoy this preparation of grass fed beef shank! When you try this recipe, let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.

Grass Fed Beef Cooking Tips: How to Avoid a Tough Steak

Cooking grass fed beef isn’t drastically different from preparing conventional, grain fed beef. For the most part, you can use grass fed beef in the place of grain fed beef in all of your favorite recipes. That being said, here are a few tips that can help you make the most of your organic, grass fed, grass finished beef.

Succulent Roasts: Low and Slow

Grass fed beef roasts make an ideal meal for busy families, and they’re a cost-effective way to enjoy our organic, grass fed beef. To make the most of your roast, we recommend:

• Season with salt and pepper, sear 1-2 minutes on all sides on medium-high heat

• Add 1-2 cups of water, onions and carrots, and cook on low in a slow cooker 8-10 hours

• Roast is done when it flakes easily with a fork

Our favorite grass fed roast recipes:

• Oven Braised Chuck Roast

• Instant Pot Roast with Red Wine

• Herb Rubbed Top Round Roast

Tender Steaks: Hot and Quick

Grass fed beef steaks cook more quickly than conventional grain fed beef, so plan to cook steaks ½ or ⅔ of the time as you usually do.

For tender steaks:

• Season with salt and pepper.

• Whether using a grill or skillet, sear the meat on high heat to seal in the juices, then turn the heat down to medium-high to finish cooking.

• Use a timer and take the meat off before you think it’s finished cooking. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.

Our favorite grass fed steak recipes:

• Simple Steak

• Carne Asada Tacos

• Entrecôte à la Bordelaise

Juicy Burgers: Sear for Flavor

Grass fed burgers cook more quickly than conventional grain fed beef, so plan to take it off the heat before you think it’s finished cooking. To seal in the juices and have a great flavor, sear the meat on high heat and make sure your skillet or grill has time to warm up before putting the meat on.

For juicy burgers:

• Similarly to steaks, sear the meat on high heat using a grill or skillet, then turn the heat down to medium-high to finish cooking.

• Use a timer and take the meat off before you think it’s finished cooking. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.

Our favorite grass fed burger recipes:

• Herb-Infused Burgers

• Gourmet Smoked Burgers

• Barbecue-Infused Burgers

If you try these tips to cook your grass fed beef, upload a photo and tag us on social media @saintjohnsorganicfarm. Enjoy!

What is the Difference Between Grass Fed and Grain Fed Beef? Not All Beef is Created Equal

Cows grazing on pasture at Saint John’s Organic Farm.

When purchasing meat, we have many options that seem similar. At the grocery store, labels like “pasture raised”, “all natural”, “grass fed”, “naturally raised”, and “organic” abound. All of these evoke an image of happy cows spending their days grazing on green grass. The truth is often contrary to that idyllic image because not all beef is raised well. Some of the aforementioned meat labels are regulated and some allow for surprising caveats. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Grain Fed Beef?

Most grocery store beef comes from cows that are raised on large feedlots called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). In CAFOs, cows are crowded, confined, and fed a grain-based feed, typically consisting of soy and corn. It’s common to supplement their diet with small amounts of dried grass.

In the US, most beef is grain fed. Almost all cows begin life with mother’s milk and grazing grass for the first months of life. After that, most young cows are transferred to a feedlot to finish growing on a grain-based diet, and they are sometimes supplemented with dried grass.

The saying “you are what you eat” applies to cows as well as people. Cows were meant to eat grass and have room to roam and graze. Cows raised on CAFOs are routinely given antibiotics and steroid hormones to maximize growth and profit. The beef harvested from these animals is nutritionally inferior to Organic, grass fed and finished beef.

What is Grass Fed Beef?

The USDA no longer regulates the term “grass fed”. If the cow ate some grass at some point in its life, the beef from that cow can have “grass fed” on the label, as “grass fed” is mostly an unregulated term. There are some independent, third-party grass fed certifications popping up, and they all have different requirements and standards.

Technically, almost all beef is grass fed beef because most cows in US farms graze some grass when nursing with their mothers in the early weeks and months of their lives. It’s the “finishing”, or what they eat after weaning, that matters. 99% of beef raised in the US is grain-finished or supplemented with grain. To complicate matters further, corn is botanically classified as a grass. Our farm is part of the 1% that raises exclusively grass-fed and grass-finished beef.

The grass fed label may mean that the cow was mostly raised on grass or it may mean the cow was raised in confinement with grain and hay. It’s simply unclear. The grain diet or grain supplemented diet causes cattle to gain excess fat and leads to depletion of various nutrients in the final beef product.

For the average package of grass fed beef from the supermarket, we don’t know how the cow was raised, whether it was injected with hormones or antibiotics, or what it ate. This highlights why it is important to know and talk to your farmers. Ask questions to know what you are purchasing.

Additionally, avoid the most inexpensive “grass fed” beef from the grocery store because it was likely imported, as Congress has eliminated Country of Origin labelling. Imported meat is more likely to come from animals raised in confinement and supplemented with grain.

Young, Brown Swiss cows curiously looking out.

What is Organic, Grass Fed, Grass Finished Beef?

Fully grass fed, grass finished beef accounts for less than 1% of all beef raised in the US.

Cows that are 100% grass fed and grass finished spend their days grazing in pastures, where they eat a variety of grasses, clover, and other healthful plant matter. They are commonly supplemented with hay in the winter. They are not supplemented with grain and have access to pasture year-round.

Organic is a heavily-regulated term from the USDA. Beef labelled organic will be free of antibiotics, hormones, and synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. It’s worth noting that beef can be labeled organic without being grass fed and grass finished. Organic beef can be mostly grain fed or grain supplemented, as long as the grain is organic.

It’s important to look for all three: organic, grass fed, grass finished.

Conventional Beef vs. 100% Organic Grass Fed Grass Finished: Nutritional Differences

Compared to conventional grain-fed beef, organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef is:

• 10X higher in vitamin A

• 3X higher in vitamin E

• Substantially higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium, & B vitamins

• Lower in cholesterol

• An abundant source of anti-cancer conjugated linoleic acid

• Free of GMOs

• Free of synthetic fertilizers

• Free of hormones and antibiotics

• Free of glyphosate and other pesticides or herbicides

Cows at Saint John’s Organic Farm.

We provide organic, grass fed, and grass finished beef because it’s best for the animal’s health, quality of life, and for our own health. We know that this is a sustainable way to feed our community, and we use regenerative practices to steward our land. As an added bonus, the meat’s flavor is more complex and enjoyable!

Farm News November 2021

Nala, one of our Brown Swiss mamas, taking an autumn stroll.

It’s November 2021. This is Claire writing.

October on Saint John’s Organic Farm brought the usual autumn changes, as well as some unexpected things and things new to our family. 

We finished calving early this year, in September instead of November, so all the calves are putting on thick winter coats and are big and well set to go into winter. Some of the animals are saying it’s going to be a long winter, so it’s nice to have the calves already a couple months old. 

Lots of fall color, the sumac trees were especially bright, and even though we had a few days of frost, Indian Summer has been lingering, and there are still raspberries (a fall-bearing variety) good to pick off the canes.

Our irrigation pump quit the first of October, so instead of being able to water all the fields generously one more time before the irrigation ditch is turned off on October 15, we are going into winter feeling a little dry. But thankfully, we were given 5 days of good rain last weekend, and the fields are doing their best to grow some more grass for winter feed.

Aaron is taking a break from the farm. He is starting security work in Boise.

Strider and Ginger grazing.

And while October has been good, it will be interesting to see what November brings!

How to Eat Beef Liver: The Best Way to Hide It In Your Favorite Recipes

Beef liver outshines other foods when ranked by micronutrient density.

Beef liver. It’s the king of nutrition that hardly anyone wants to eat. Liver and onions was once a mainstay of American diets. This tradition sadly faded in America when eating offal became associated with poverty, as the cuts of organ meats were the least expensive. Over time, families stopped preparing organ meats regularly in favor of more “choice cuts” as the American middle class grew. Because many were not exposed to the tastes and textures of organ meats in early childhood, liver is now undesirable for most people. However, there are many reasons to bring back eating liver, chief among them being nutrition.

Why Eat Grass Fed Beef Liver

Saint John’s organic, grass-fed beef liver.

In nature, it’s common to see predators prioritizing liver and other organ meats over the muscle meats, often leaving the muscle meats for scavengers to eat. In wolf packs, the alpha wolf gets first dibs on the liver, and orcas are known to kill a shark just for its liver. There is some wisdom here beyond science, and it’s intimating not to skip the liver.

Iron and Vitamin A

Liver is a rich source of iron and vitamin A, and is well known as essential to recovery from anemia. It’s the most concentrated dietary source of vitamin A, a vitamin key for vision, reproduction, and immune system function. The vitamin A from liver is in retinoid form, the form in which our bodies are most easily able to absorb and assimilate the vitamin A. Compared to carotenoids (as in beta-carotene from carrots and other yellow and orange vegetables), 

There’s an association between carrots, sweet potatoes, and other orange and yellow vegetables and vitamin A, with their pigmentation as a supposed indicator of beta-carotene. It’s a common misconception that beta-carotene is vitamin A. In truth, carotenes are a precursor to vitamin A, and most humans can convert beta-carotene to vitamin A. Our genetics and gut health determine if, and to what extent, we are able to convert beta-carotene into usable vitamin A.

For example, let’s compare carrots and beef liver. 100 grams of cooked carrot contains about 10,200 mcg of vitamin A in beta-carotene form, but only 852 mcg will be converted to active retinol form, given good gut health and genetics. Only 8% of the beta-carotene was convertible to active vitamin A in this case. In stark contrast, 100 grams of cooked beef liver contains 7700 mcg of vitamin A, all of it preformed and ready to be absorbed.

Classic Liver Preparation: Liver & Onions

You can’t go wrong with liver and onions...unless you don’t like the taste of liver. Here are a few tips to make an honest liver dish a little more palatable.

• Soak liver in milk, buttermilk, or whey for a few days prior to cooking. This is a traditional cooking method that helps to remove some of the pungent flavor.

• Pile high the onions.

• Use bacon and bacon fat. Bacon and bacon fat make everything more delicious, including liver!

• Don’t overcook, a little pink is best to maintain a creamy texture and prevent a leathery, overcooked texture.

My Favorite, Painless Way to Eat Beef Liver

Here is how to eat liver…advice that goes beyond “buck up” or “plug your nose”.

My favorite way to eat liver is to whiz it up in the food processor and use it in any of my dishes that use ground beef or other ground meats. I’ve found that by adding a little ground liver to those dishes, we usually don’t notice the taste and neither do our dinner guests! I stick to a ratio of ⅓ lb liver to 1 lb ground beef. If you’re feeling hesitant or you know that you really don’t like the taste of liver, lower that ratio to ¼ lb or even ⅙ lb. It’s important that you enjoy your food and have success while still adding a powerful nutritional boost to your meals.

Saint John’s liver in the food processor, before being ground up.

Pulse the liver until the desired texture is reached, it should look somewhat liquid-y.

Ground up liver.

If you don’t have a food processor, try cutting the liver into small pieces to resemble ground beef. If you go this route, freeze the liver for 30 - 60 minutes until it is semi-frozen. This will help with the slippery texture of liver and make cutting much easier.

If the liver taste ends up being too strong throughout the dish, add more hot sauce, ketchup, or other acidic condiments, and take a deep breath. Allow yourself to experience a new taste and texture, knowing the good you are doing for yourself.

Recommended Recipes

For grinding liver in the food processor, I recommend recipes that have some acid or spice to them, and I’ve found Asian dishes really don’t pair well with added ground liver. Spicy dishes like tacos or enchiladas and acidic, tomato-heavy bolognese are ideal.

My favorites include:

• Meatballs

• Shepherd’s pie

• Meat loaf

• Taco meat

• Bolognese / spaghetti meat sauce

I haven’t tried adding it to burgers, but I bet that would be delicious!

Liver, an ancestral superfood, has fallen out of fashion in recent decades, but it certainly deserves a place on our plates, for our benefit! If you try one of these methods for eating beef liver, let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook!

We have organic, grass-fed, grass-finished beef liver available, please contact us for more information.

Microplastics in Meat: How the average person eats a credit card sized piece of plastic each week

Plastics are everywhere. Plastics have been instrumental in medical sanitation (through single-use wrapping) and have played a major role in our economy and lifestyles through the use of convenience items, for better or worse. Plastics and modern industrialization appear to have grown in lock-step.

What are the detriments of plastic’s ubiquity? The effects are subtle yet powerful. A viral video (since removed) showed boxes of processed food -- e.g. crackers, cookies, cereal, etc. -- going into an industrial grinder, still in the packaging. The workers claimed this would go to animal feed, cardboard, plastic, and all. While shocking, this type of recycling is completely legal and commonplace in the industrialized world. This immediately triggered in my mind studies I’d come across on microplastic contamination of meat, and I decided to do a little digging.

Microplastics: What are they?

Microplastics are defined as small pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in size, and they range in size from microscopic to the length of a grain of rice.

In the natural world, microplastics are commonly found in water sources -- (oceans, rivers, rainwater), soil, air (wind is a major microplastic transporter), and wild animals. Due to wind and water currents, “plastics now spiral around the globe” and there are few places on Earth untouched by microplastics. In the US alone, 94.4% of tap water sources are confirmed to contain microplastics. Because microplastics are discoverable nearly everywhere, they’ve become part of our bodies, too. A recent study found that 100% of human stool samples collected contained microplastics.

The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) No Plastic in Nature combined over 50 studies and found microplastics are ubiquitous enough that “an average person could be ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic every week”, or roughly the equivalent of a credit card. The average amounts ingested varied based on consumption habits. The grocery items that were the biggest contributors to microplastic consumption were drinking water (tap and bottled), shellfish, beer, and salt.

Microplastic Effect on Meat

A British farmer documented the microplastics clearly visible in the animal feed he purchased.

What does this have to do with organic, grass-fed beef? Conventional meat (beef, pork, and poultry) in the US is commonly fed grain-based animal feed. Often, part of this animal feed is “recycled food waste”. From the beginning of agriculture, we’ve been feeding livestock our leftovers. However, today’s recycled food waste involves sending processed foods still in the packaging -- cardboard, plastic, adhesives and all -- to an industrial grinder where the powder is then used as an ingredient in animal feed and pet food.

The ground up recycled food waste is also used as an ingredient in many fertilizers, meaning these microplastics get sprayed all over crops and leach into groundwater. This has led to some controversy in the Organic farming community concerning if these fertilizers should be considered USDA certified Organic. Environmentalists are touting the environmentally-friendly and sustainable nature of using food meant for waste as fertilizer, but who can say the long term impact of microplastics in the soil will be good for the environment?

The trays used to package grocery store meat add microplastics to your meal.

Meat packaging is an additional contamination vector for microplastics. The food trays used to package supermarket meat are usually made of extruded polystyrene (XPS), and small quantities of this material end up trapped between the meat and the plastic wrapping. These particles are difficult to remove by rinsing, and generally end up in the meat when cooked.

Impact on Human and Animal Health

We know microplastics are everywhere now, but is this truly a problem for us or our livestock? Is this just the price we pay for living in an industrialized, modern world?

According to Dr. Heather Leslie, a leading expert in microplastics research, microplastics can pierce the bowel and enter the bloodstream when consumed orally. From the bloodstream, these plastics are transported to and deposited in the tissues and organs of the animal. This has been seen with pigs, dogs, rats, and chickens but hasn’t been tested in humans.

Microplastics end up in the muscle tissue of animals, the part that’s usually consumed by us, but this hasn’t been well studied or tested across different types of meats, environments and agricultural practices. The current available science is limited because microplastics have only been studied in earnest the last 4 years.

It’s not much of a logical stretch to assume that, similarly to pigs, dogs, rats, and chickens, as humans are ingesting microplastics, microplastics are piercing our bowels, entering our bloodstreams, and being deposited in our tissues and organs. The long term consequences are not known, and we should take steps to reduce our exposure.

Because the majority of plastics are made with flame retardants, phthalates, pigments, and Bisphenol-A (BPA), most microplastics contain these additives. The harmful health effects of these additives are well known to be endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic.

Saint John’s cows with their lush winter coats, grazing on grass and hay.

What can be done?

Replace bottled water with filtered tap water. This step alone reduces a person’s exposure to microplastics 22-fold!

Support community and legal initiatives to reduce the microplastic permeation of our planet.

Buy meat from sources you can trust, and ask questions about what you’re buying. Farmers may not know of the potential microplastics in animal feed. Our USDA Organic, 100% grass-fed, and grass-finished beef is not fed manufactured animal feed. Buying meat without microplastics is one way to vote with your dollar.

Buy food in glass or packaging alternative to plastic.

Microplastics are everywhere; there’s simply no avoiding it. However, we can take steps to reduce our exposure and protect our health.