That's Fit

Love cheese, but don't love the fat and calories that come with it? You might be able to add a little extra nutrition to your daily cheese quota by switching to yak cheese. Yes, I realize I just said yak cheese, and if you're a non-adventurous eater like myself, well, that just made you squirm a little.

However, a recent study that compared yak cheese produced from animals that were pastured on Nepal's highlands to cheddar cheese made from grain-fed cows in Canada found that the yak cheese was three times higher in omega 3 fatty acids. It was also rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a fatty acid found in flaxseed. Conjugated linolenic acid, a cancer and diabetes fighter, was also discovered in higher levels.

I really wish that they had compared the nutrition of cheese made from grass-fed cows to those of the yaks. Because grass is a much more natural diet for cows than grain, it makes sense that the grass-fed yaks' cheese was more nutritious. Still, if you're in the market for something new and can afford gourmet prices, yak cheese is supposed to smell and taste much like cheddar. Anyone ever tried it?

I have been struggling for months to adopt a (mostly) vegetarian diet. Though I don't believe it's cruel to eat an animal, I do think the conditions in which most of our livestock are horrific and I don't want my food dollars to support them any longer. If I could find a good source of local, grass-fed, free-range/pastured, humanely treated poultry and beef, I'd likely let them back into my diet, at least occasionally. But for now -- most of the time -- I'm a semi-vegetarian who still eats fish. My ambivalence was never more obvious to me, however, then last week while on vacation, where I quickly returned to my carnivorous ways despite the pangs of guilt I felt after each meal.

So when I came across this essay today, I could relate on so many levels. The author does a fantastic job of touching on so many issues that we ambivalent vegetarians deal with -- the love of a good (meaty) meal, the desire not to be the squeaky wheel, and the guilt that comes when we finally do indulge ourselves. If you're thinking of becoming a vegetarian, are trying the lifestyle on for size, or have given up because you just couldn't do it, it's definitely worth a read.

Well, as of now, the deal with grass fed beef is this -- meat so lean it actually lowers your LDL cholesterol, gives you two to six times more good fats (omega-3 fatty acids and CLA) than grain fed beef and could help lower your risk of cancer.

And did I mention the taste? Worlds above conventional beef; slightly gamey, strong and flavorful with some real personality. Maybe all that grain and those antibiotics and growth hormones just don't taste good ...

But due to new standards classifying grass fed beef, these benefits could be in jeopardy. The U.S Agriculture Department wants a broader definition of grass and won't require the animals to be pasture-fed. In essence, conventional farmers may be able to claim their animals are grass fed. What do you think?