The price of grass fed and game

[Polyvore]

How do you all afford  the damn food? I am looking around for grass fed and game meats in Australia... grass fed beef and lamb, wild boar and birds and other game meats. Even looking at imported buffalo, or really ANYTHING that isn't grain fed!

Everything is lean, and everything is $20AU/kg ++

Wild Boar Leg $35/kg, Buffalo Osso Bucco $25/kg, Kangaroo Fillet $21/kg, Free Range Maryland Fillet Skin on $20/kg

How do you get all your fats in if you eat grass fed and game meats?

I think I would starve before I could afford enough calories to feed myself.   

[wodgina]

Just bought 8 kg of fatty grassfed mince for $12.95kg.

Anyway I eat grain finished all the time. Don't get hung up on the grass fed thing. I can get grain finished anything from $1.95-6.00kg.

It's still very good for you.

[Polyvore]

Oh,  I didn't realise, I thought everyone said not to touch the grain fed stuff. So should I worry about grain fed pork and poultry? It  isn't their natural diet, but they don't feed natural diets, even free range breeds.

[TylerDurden]

I heavily disagree. I have never found raw, grain-finished to be any good. It's "less worse" than fully grainfed meats but that's all. Read this article for further info re this:-

http://donmatesz.blogspot.co.at/2011/01/practically-primal-guide-to_21.html

In the UK, I have found raw wild game to be far cheaper(eg:-  a whole raw wild hare carcass for 13 pounds sterling, which lasts me 2-3 days) and raw, grassfed meats are cheap provided I only buy raw organ-meats(which I anyway prefer) or raw grassfed minced meat. In Austria I cannot get hold of raw organ meats of suitable quality and the raw wild game is pretty expensive(but far more exotic, such as raw moufflon, raw wild boar etc.) but I stick to c.700g of raw meat a day and that still only costs me c.82 euros a week.

Standard tips on reducing costs for all members who want to save cash:-

1) When buying raw grassfed meats only buy raw organ-meats or raw, minced meats. Buying raw grassfed fillet or rump steak is sheer madness, and utterly pointless  - I actually find the cheapest cuts of meat to be more nutritious, not less. I've known many farmers give some of the raw organ-meats to me for free since I also buy some of their raw muscle-meats as well, and no one else wants the organ-meats, because they're stupid and brainwashed.

2) Buy raw wild game if possible as it's (often but not always) cheaper. If you have a hunter/farmer friend you could even get wild game carcasses for free.

3) Go in for Intermittent Fasting(only 1 large meal a day, eaten within 4 hours):-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting

Trust me, you'll feel better if you do the above rather than following Aajonus's foolish advice to eat dozens of tiny small meals throughout the day. The less stress you put on the body re digestion, the more energy/effort the body can divert away towards healing.

4) If you're near the coast,  some of the raw seafood should be very cheap. You still have to be selective - I mean, raw lobster, raw scallops and raw wildcaught salmon will still be too expensive, while raw mussels, raw crabs, raw sardines and raw sprats/mackerels etc. should be dirt-cheap.


5) Re fats:- Raw organ-meats like raw marrow, raw tongue, raw brains, raw suet are mostly or wholly fat.

6) There are online groups which cater to those pet-owners who want to feed their pets on a high-quality raw(prey-model) diet. I know that US farms like Slanker's sell pet-grade food which people like Lex find perfectly acceptable for humans, that's a great way to cut down on costs. I'm too much of a snob to have tried that route yet, as I prefer raw wild game to any mere raw  grassfed meats, but I think it's worth a shot.

7) I understand that Australian Aborigines eat raw foods like the live witchetty grub. I don't suppose there's a chance that you could find some specimens and grow them for food? Just an eccentric idea.

[goodsamaritan]

I don't eat raw pork even if it is wild... I'm heeding the trichinosis rumor.

and I don't eat factory fed poultry... but I do eat raw organic chicken when I dream about it.

I can get lots of raw wild seafood every day.

I'm lucky seems most beef in my country is essentially free range due to the farming practices here.  (grass and grazing is free, feed costs money)

Goats are grass fed though they're too lean for my taste.

Lamb I get imported new zealand and it's expensive.

We have organic sources of duck meat and duck eggs.

Organic doesn't cost too much in my country.

I spend too much on food.

[TylerDurden]

I'm lucky seems most beef in my country is essentially free range due to the farming practices here.  (grass is free, feed costs money)

  Intensive-farming requires a lot of money to set up and a lot more technology, so living in  a country like the Phillipines is best as they can't so easily do that.

[Polyvore]

I have another question I will throw in here:

Does anyone drink blood? I heard there are some cultures that drink raw blood mixed with raw milk and raw honey. Anyone tried that? How would you go about trying to get cow blood?

[Polyvore]

I am thinking the bloodmilk would be an epic post-workout drink.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/recipe/2589518/2

[goodsamaritan]

I have another question I will throw in here:

Does anyone drink blood? I heard there are some cultures that drink raw blood mixed with raw milk and raw honey. Anyone tried that? How would you go about trying to get cow blood?

I drink the fresh muscle plasma from the fresh beef meat I buy.
It was instrumental in healing my then 9 year old boy of primary complex.

Traditionally in our northern province of Ilocos, the people at times drink blood from the neck of a live goat.  I haven't done that yet.

[TylerDurden]

I have another question I will throw in here:

Does anyone drink blood? I heard there are some cultures that drink raw blood mixed with raw milk and raw honey. Anyone tried that? How would you go about trying to get cow blood?

  I have tried raw blood from raw grassfed animals and it tasted not much different from the blood from fully grainfed animals. However, the pints of raw blood that I got from raw wild hare carcasses tasted absolutely amazing and I could always feel an invigorating effect therefrom.

[Neone]

Kangaroo's are everywhere in australia. Just make yourself or buy a bow and go out at dusk and get yourself a kangaroo.  Rabbits are also a pest there (although i didnt see a lot where i lived around brisbane) so you could snare them?

I laugh now living in canada, that there are all these pest animals like roo;s and rabbits in aus, but nobody hunts, whereas 'everybody' here in canada hunts and its a normal thing.

[Polyvore]

Some of the rabbits have myxomatosis. Kangaroos have almost no fat on them, and so would not be a good staple.

[eveheart]

Back to your original post, I think the cuts of meats that you listed were the more tender cuts, so they cost more. I buy the cheap grassfed cuts that would not be tender when cooked. Raw meat is usually tender, so no need to go for the high-priced filets. For example, ground beef here is US$6.50/lb, tender cuts are about US$17.00+/lb., and the unpopular cuts I buy are between $4 and $6 per pound. I buy slabs of back fat for $1.99/lb. You might need to get to know your butcher better to strike up a good deal.

[intrigued]

A quick googling of "grass fed meat australia" (no quotes) returned this - http://www.paleoz.com/australia/grass-fed-meat-in-australia/ .  Maybe worth checking out the list.  Appears to be a couple years old, but if you find one place that has some good deals and great quality, that would be a great start.

I'm with eveheart, you'll find cheaper options in things like beef roasts (round or chuck), heart, organ meats, etc.  The stuff that other people don't want as much because it requires more cooking or is unconventional.  The feeling around the forum does seem like it can take some legwork before you start getting good deals.  That list might be a place to start though.

[gc]

Just bought 8 kg of fatty grassfed mince for $12.95kg.

On first read, I saw "fatty grassfed mice"

It was momentarily awesome.

[Polyvore]

I found a butcher about an hour away that sells grass-fed beef, lamb, free range pig, organs and fat. I need to buy my organs in bulk packs of 10 though, and fat is about $5/kg so about the same price as you. I think I will stick to mince with added fat, and organs for now.

[wodgina]

I heavily disagree. I have never found raw, grain-finished to be any good. It's "less worse" than fully grainfed meats but that's all. Read this article for further info re this:-

http://donmatesz.blogspot.co.at/2011/01/practically-primal-guide-to_21.html

In the UK, I have found raw wild game to be far cheaper(eg:-  a whole raw wild hare carcass for 13 pounds sterling, which lasts me 2-3 days) and raw, grassfed meats are cheap provided I only buy raw organ-meats(which I anyway prefer) or raw grassfed minced meat. In Austria I cannot get hold of raw organ meats of suitable quality and the raw wild game is pretty expensive(but far more exotic, such as raw moufflon, raw wild boar etc.) but I stick to c.700g of raw meat a day and that still only costs me c.82 euros a week.

Standard tips on reducing costs for all members who want to save cash:-

1) When buying raw grassfed meats only buy raw organ-meats or raw, minced meats. Buying raw grassfed fillet or rump steak is sheer madness, and utterly pointless  - I actually find the cheapest cuts of meat to be more nutritious, not less. I've known many farmers give some of the raw organ-meats to me for free since I also buy some of their raw muscle-meats as well, and no one else wants the organ-meats, because they're stupid and brainwashed.

2) Buy raw wild game if possible as it's (often but not always) cheaper. If you have a hunter/farmer friend you could even get wild game carcasses for free.

3) Go in for Intermittent Fasting(only 1 large meal a day, eaten within 4 hours):-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting

Trust me, you'll feel better if you do the above rather than following Aajonus's foolish advice to eat dozens of tiny small meals throughout the day. The less stress you put on the body re digestion, the more energy/effort the body can divert away towards healing.

4) If you're near the coast,  some of the raw seafood should be very cheap. You still have to be selective - I mean, raw lobster, raw scallops and raw wildcaught salmon will still be too expensive, while raw mussels, raw crabs, raw sardines and raw sprats/mackerels etc. should be dirt-cheap.


5) Re fats:- Raw organ-meats like raw marrow, raw tongue, raw brains, raw suet are mostly or wholly fat.

6) There are online groups which cater to those pet-owners who want to feed their pets on a high-quality raw(prey-model) diet. I know that US farms like Slanker's sell pet-grade food which people like Lex find perfectly acceptable for humans, that's a great way to cut down on costs. I'm too much of a snob to have tried that route yet, as I prefer raw wild game to any mere raw  grassfed meats, but I think it's worth a shot.

7) I understand that Australian Aborigines eat raw foods like the live witchetty grub. I don't suppose there's a chance that you could find some specimens and grow them for food? Just an eccentric idea.

Grain finished is not bad and sometimes it's really good. I eat it when traveling for the most part. If I had to rely on grassfed I would starve or could never be further than a short drive of my house.

I eat it all the time. Plus our cattle spend most of their lives on pasture,

[TylerDurden]

Grain finished is not bad and sometimes it's really good. I eat it when traveling for the most part. If I had to rely on grassfed I would starve or could never be further than a short drive of my house.

I eat it all the time. Plus our cattle spend most of their lives on pasture,

  Grain-finished means mass feeding of grains in the last few months prior to slaughter. The above link I showed indicates that grain-finished meat isn't all that different from meats from cattle fed on grains their whole lives. I suppose it all depends on one's prior health-problems. Some people get more benefit just from eating only meat, or more benefit just from the palaeo or raw component of the diet. As for me, I notice a definite difference in vitality when I eat raw wild game as opposed to eating 100% grassfed, so I stick to the former whenever possible.

[Polyvore]

Tyler what wild game do you eat?

[TylerDurden]

Tyler what wild game do you eat?

Moufflon(male and  female), wild hare,  wild boar, wild deer mainly.

[LePatron7]

Moufflon(male and  female), wild hare,  wild boar, wild deer mainly.

Wild boar as in wild pig?

I've heard things about them having some trynch parasite. I guess its not true?

[TylerDurden]

Wild boar as in wild pig?

I've heard things about them having some trynch parasite. I guess its not true?

All rubbish. I've eaten it for years and never had a problem therefrom.