No! Grass fed is NOT a keto rule

#1

I’m inspired by @Brenda to state my point of view on this subject. I also want to let you know that, yes, I am one of those yuppies who buys grass-fed butter, pastured eggs, organic vegetables at farmers markets, and I get to know the farmers personally and buy high end grass-fed, slow-raised, pastured meats. And I pay through the nose for those products.

But, it irks me to no end when I see “you need to buy organic, grass-fed, pastured…yada yada yada…to obtain good health on keto, so don’t buy the Walmart crap.”

This statement is dangerous. For many reasons.

  1. when someone embarks on keto WOE, there is so much to learn. Pile on the “grass fed rules”, and you make it more complicated for them to follow.
  2. many many many people cannot afford grass fed luxury. And when you want to get a whole family eating keto, the cost escalates immensely. Don’t give them the reason not to do keto. A parent shopping at Walmart for bacon, eggs, steaks and fish to feed an entire family a keto meal is perfectly fine.
  3. when someone gets laid off, or other financial crisis occurs, you don’t want them to think that they cannot continue keto. They can! Stop buying the $16 per pound pastured slow-raised bacon, and get the $2 per pound bacon ends at Walmart.
  4. organic vegetables at the grocery store is flakey marketing. The certification rules are flakey, and all the vegetables are stored side by side, encouraging cross contamination. If you have the money to buy organic, go ahead. But, if you don’t, please don’t feel bad. The main good point here is that you are purchasing whole foods.
  5. some people don’t give a crap, and buy the cheapest of everything. I can totally respect that philosophy. Nothing wrong with that. Embrace differences in people.

There are a very few valid reasons to discuss some concerns, like heavy metals contamination in some produce. But, this should be done cautiously and not blow things out of proportion.

Again…I’m not knocking the grass fed produce…I’m an avid consumer of it. But, I don’t impose this as a rule and make others feel bad about not buying it. Eat fatty Walmart ribeye with pride! And don’t let anybody tell you that you shouldn’t, when you clearly cannot afford buying the alternative, or just want to exercise your choice.

Eating Out On A Budget by Zorn
Show me the science re: grass fed beef
Do I really need to eat organic meat + dairy?
Frozen meat?
(Chris Bair) #2

As I understand it, “grass fed” meat/butter/cheese has a better fatty acid profile (don’t remember if it’s less PUFAs or more Omega 3s), but corn fed beef is so much better for you than the corn - and if that’s what you have access to/can afford, yeah - go for it!

#3

I totally agree, @Chris_Bair, and my point is…

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(Scott Shillady) #4

@Fiorella THANK YOU!!! Amen. I am living proof that you can obtain good health Doing Walmart Keto. We have 4 boys with a single income. My philosophy is if they don’t have it at walmart we don’t need it. I Buy the cheapest ends and pieces i can find for my bacon addiction. Eggs I buy 5 dozen at a time. I am blessed I get a great supply of Grass fed butter cream and cheese working at a dairy.

I have lost 40 lbs in 13 weeks and eliminated the need to inject insulin into my gut daily. I can’t wait to see what my A1C is next month at my next DR visit. [quote=“Fiorella, post:1, topic:5107”]
Eat fatty Walmart ribeye with pride!
[/quote]
Steaks are the one thing I won’t buy at Walmart. I find their selection much too lean

I’m proud to be a Dirty Cheap ASS Ketogenic Machine That Fucking Loves Bacon :bacon::honey_pot:

#5

@BaconNectar, I’m going to steal your clever invention “Walmart Keto”…that is effing brilliant!

(Guardian of the bacon) #6

@Fiorella

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THIS
Absofuckinglutely. Sure grass fed, pasture raised, free range has a better nutrient profile.

But almost anything you buy at the meat counter or out of a produce cooler is going to be a damn site healthier than anything out of a box or a jar. (Frozen produce can be just as healthy as fresh and sometimes much cheaper for things not in season locally)

I am working on building my own little grass fed, pasture raised, free range farm. In the meantime I try and buy most of my meat and eggs from small local growers. It may or may not be grass fed etc but I know the animals are well cared for.

Buy what you can afford, Don’t sweat the small stuff.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #7

Well said!

I prefer grass-fed meat and dairy for a variety of reasons, but you are absolutely correct that this should not be considered keto dogma.

I especially appreciate the point about having a lot to learn. Simple steps are easier to follow, and you can always enhance as you move forward, once the basics are in place.

This, too! :smiley:

(Brian Miller) #8

I caught myself the other night looking at the eggs at Walmart and thinking my Egglands Best weren’t good enough if they weren’t the grass fed, cage free variety. Luckily I realized I was uneccesarily judging myself and just picked up what I wanted. There are bigger things in life for me to be worried about.

(Luke Jeffery) #9

I agree completely. I’m another that does “Walmart keto” and have lost a [spoiler]shitload[/spoiler] of weight.

I’d also say that that anti vegetable oil thing isn’t strictly a keto issue, but a good health issue. I’d still be producing ketones if all my fat intake was from vegetable oil, but the quality of raw materials and the amount of oxidation occurring in my body would be different.

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #10

I buy what I can afford and leave it at that. It really doesn’t matter what anyone says or how ‘elitist’ anyone’s attitude is regarding what we ‘must and must not’ have regarding our keto food purchases. I’m on a budget like so many others and it’s so unfair to those that deeply need to implement the keto woe to improve health to say a person must have grass-fed everything.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #11

I love you.
That is all.

(Kathy Meyer) #12

Some people just seem to like rules. I figure that you can do what you can do, and if you can only afford Wal-Mart Keto, go for it. But Wal-Mart does have grass-fed ground beef and antibiotic and hormone-free chicken. They also have uncured bacon, almond flour, coconut oil, and all sorts of other Keto goodies. I’m not a rule person myself, but always appreciate constructive suggestions, done in a kindly fashion.

#14

Thank you for posting this, @Jason. :smiley: I forgot about Bob. He’s awesome!!!

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #15

LMFAO @ljeffery2!! Great spoiler!!!

(Kelly LeBlanc) #16

Butter Bob is the first thing I thought of reading your wonderful post.

Another pet peeve, if you wish to conquer it. So many people think the only way to keto is the way that they keto.

(gooeykablooey) #17

I do walmart/aldi/Costco keto :smiley: wherever I can save the most on anything. Though I will admit I’ve become a Kerrygold snob for butter. Dreading when I run out and might not afford it again

(G. Andrew Duthie) #18

LOL. In the same boat. Got about 6 boxes worth when it was on sale at Costco, and not looking forward to when that runs out.

(Marc) #19

And it irks my diabetic brother-in-law and his diabetic son when I try to explain to them why they should eat low carb. All these choices are on a scale. My in-laws can’t even understand that what they eat impacts their health. I think most people here understand that. Raising the issue that grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, pastured pork, etc. is healthier is raising an issue that the quality of what we eat impacts our health.
If you want to shame me for saying that grass-fed is better than grain-fed you can stand behind my diabetic in-laws that look down on me for saying that low-carb is better than high-carb. My diabetic in-laws are much smarter then me.

#20

@valdivia.marc,
Not sure how to respond to your post. I certainly don’t want to shame you or anyone for eating grass fed, or stating they are healthier choices. I myself am a consumer of grass fed and pasture raised.

What I don’t do is make others who don’t buy/consume grass fed produce feel like they are doing the wrong thing. It’s their choice, and i respect it.

It is difficult when someone embarks on keto for the first time. My point is don’t raise the bar so high that it makes it hard for the person to adopt keto way of eating. Too many rules discourage learning and trying something new. My humble opinion. That’s all.

(Scott Shillady) #21

While I would agree that nutrient profiles are better in grass fed pastured etc. there are some such as I that could not afford to remain Keto spending up for those. I would end up having to buy rice potatoes and pasta to be able to feed my family. It is much healthier for me to remain Keto 100% and consume cheap “walmart crap” then to ever have my BG spoke ever again. and to me Grain Finished beef tastes better and has a better macro ratio for my needs