If quantity, price, and protein are the only things you care about when it comes to buying meat, commercially produced products are probably going to look just as palatable and suitable for your table as their higher priced organic meat counterparts. As soon as you consider other factors like the quality, health effects, and flavor of the two products though, natural meat is clearly the optimal choice for simple and fancy meals.

Unfortunately, many consumers see little difference between run-of-the-mill beef products at the market and natural meat products that are usually only sold at specialty or online stores simply because they don't know the differences in how the two products are raised. If you fall into this category of meat consumers, the following article should help explain why organic meat products like natural beef are so much healthier, flavorful, and convenient for your family.

If you care about eating the healthiest food in the market, there are several reasons that you should choose natural rather than commercial beef products. Most of these reasons stem from the shortcuts that beef manufacturers use to satisfy the large demand for beef in the market. After all, Americans consume more beef products every year than any other country in the world and the faster that manufacturers can meet that demand, the more money they can make.

One way that manufacturers try to increase their production capacity is by using a lot of artificial growth hormones on their cattle. Although these growth hormones do make it possible to grow a large cow, pig, or chicken in a short amount of time, they may have negative health effects on the consumers who ingest those hormones every time that they cook up commercially raised meat products. For example, some medical studies suggest that the artificial growth hormones in commercially raised meat products can lead to everything from premature puberty and falling sperm counts to cancer. If you want to bypass these risks completely, it may be worth it to purchase hormone-free natural meat.

Since space is an expensive commodity when you are trying to raise hundreds or even thousands of animals, many producers house their livestock in cramped and crowded quarters. Unfortunately, that kind of environment is a perfect place for disease to break out and spread. If this did happen in a corral, a lot of animals could become sick and die which would be a huge loss for their owners. So, producers guard against this possibility by pumping large quantities of antibiotics into their livestock. Unfortunately, although those antibiotics do help minimize sickness and losses among the animals, ingesting such a large amount of antibiotics can be more harmful than helpful for the human immune system. For example, with so many antibiotics already in their system, the disease that consumers do catch will more resistant to antibiotics than they were before which means that people will need newer and stronger medications to fight them.

Feeding so many animals can also be challenge; especially when you are dealing with cows because they require particularly large quantities of feed. As a result, some producers are willing to save a little money by using low-quality or even contaminated feed. For example, cattle should really only be eating vegetarian products like grass, hay, and grain but in the past, some producers have tried to make their feed go further by mixing left-over animal parts or other fillers into the feed that they give their animals which is not good for the cows or the people who eat them. When you choose to buy organic meat, you never have to worry about this problem though because those producers are dedicated to using the highest quality feed that is available in the market.

Since organic meat, by definition, contains no artificial growth hormones, antibiotics, or contaminated feed products, you can avoid all of the different health risks discussed above by simply choosing organic rather than commercial meat products. And this means you will probably be able to feel as well as taste a difference when you eat organic meat. Without all the shortcuts that commercial producers use to raise their cattle though, natural producers typically invest more money and time into every animal that they raise though. This is one reason that organic meat costs more than commercial meat products.

For a lot of people, flavor is definitely the most important factor in their meat purchasing decisions. And, whether you ask restaurant owners, chefs, or domestic cooks, flavor is one of the biggest differences that consumers should notice between natural and commercial meat products. This difference in quality and flavor shouldn't be surprising though when you think about the fresh air, sunshine, vegetarian feed, and natural lifestyle that organic livestock enjoy.

If you are concerned with or mindful of animal rights as well, the old-fashioned and humane husbandry methods used by organic meat producers may also have an impact on your meat purchasing decisions.

Convenience is another benefit that consumers reap when they choose organic beef products over commercial ones. For example, rather than driving to the grocery store and being subject to the selection of meat products that are stocked on the shelf, consumers can order the cut of their choice from the comfort of home by simply taking a few minutes to find what they are looking for online. And, in addition to saving some travel time and increasing your selection of products, online ordering is convenient because your order is shipped directly to your home in a compact, packaged that is kept cool with dry ice. Since many organic meat orders are cut right before shipping, customers also enjoy optimal freshness and better flavor. With shipping playing such an important role in your order, it would probably be wise to double check your address when you place an order though.

Now that you know the difference between organic and commercial meat products, you also need to know how to avoid false advertising. For example, some manufacturers can claim that their meat is natural or organic as long as they refrain from giving their animals growth hormones, antibiotics, and contaminated feed within six months of being slaughtered. If you only want to pay for and consume completely organic and natural products though, you probably need to look for small, family farm suppliers or crystal clear guarantees like "One Hundred Percent Organic," "No Artificial Growth Hormones," and "No Antibiotics." These are important distinctions to make because you only want to pay extra money for a worthwhile product. Then, whether you decide to buy organic meat on a regular basis or rare occasions, you'll be amazed by the difference in quality, flavor, convenience and health benefits.