Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated : October 29, 2017 1:30 AM IST
If you eat meat regularly, you have to be really careful about what you're putting into your body. And with so many options in your hands, it can be easy to puzzle over the labels. You first pick range-free and scratching your head a bit, you turn to organic. Knowing these five terms on the meat labels will help you make a smarter choice, says nutritionist Sheena Tigrania.
Organic Organic meat and poultry consume only organically grown feed and is not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Organic can be a great option but try to look for organic and grass-fed on the label as it is even better.
Natural-- USDA has set a definition for natural. Natural typically means that the meat contains no artificial and added colours and is only minimally processed. Fresh meat is therefore considered natural.
Hormone-free First of all understand that USDS does not allow hormones to be used in chicken or turkeys. So don t be happy if you see a package which boasts of hormone-free meat. However, farmers do use hormones when it comes to sheep and cattle. So if you are picking up goat meat, keep an eye out for hormone-free on the label. Also, stop consuming processed meat as it may worsen your asthma.
Grass-fed-- Grass-fed animals eat natural grass instead of grain, soy or corn. The USDA requires the animals to have continuous access to pasture during the growing season. But that doesn t mean they are out in fields. Some grass-fed animals also spend a significant amount of time confined. If you are very particular about grass-fed meat, you need to shop as locally as you can so you can visit the farm and even ask questions.
Raised without antibiotics-- Animals are administered with antibiotics so that they gain more weight. But finding out if the animals are raised with the antibiotics can be a little tricky as the antibiotic claims are very confusing. This can be much easier. If you ever encounter the phrase antibiotic-free along with no antibiotic residues, drug-free, chemical-free, and no antibiotic growth promotants on packaging just ditch them because the USDA has banned producers from making such claims. This is the healthiest non-vegetarian food guide.
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