• Lower in total fat
• Higher in beta-carotene
• Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
• Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
• Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
• Higher in total omega-3
• A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
• Higher in conjugated linoleic acid or CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
• Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
• Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

Lower Fat - Meat from grass-fed cattle is much lower in fat, and calories. A 6-ounce steak from a grass-finished animal has almost 100 fewer calories than the same-sized piece from a grain-fed animal. If, like the average American, you eat about 67 pounds of beef a year, switching to grass-fed beef will save you nearly 18,000 calories a year.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to human health. Sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass are omega-3, formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves. Grass-fed cattle can contain as much as two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed animals.

At the same time, a high ratio of omega-6 (bad) to omega-3 (good) fatty acids has been linked with an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, allergies, depression, obesity, and autoimmune disorders. A ratio of four to one or lower is considered ideal. Grain-fed beef has a much higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids than wild game or grass-fed beef. In grass-fed beef, the ratio is approximately 2 to 1, while grain-fed beef is more than 14 to 1.

More Vitamins - Vitamin E is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer in humans. Meat from grass-fed cattle is higher in vitamin E, as much as four times higher than meat from feedlot cattle.

Rich source of CLA - Meat from grass-fed animals is the richest known source of "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA. Grass-fed cattle have been found to produce 2 to 5 times more CLA than cattle fed high grain feedlot diets. In tests, a diet containing even a small amount of CLA greatly reduced cancerous growth.