Benefits of grass-fed beef

One change taking place in college cafeterias is use of 100 percent grass-fed beef, also known as grass-finished. This is replacing conventional meat, which comes from cows that eat grain at the end of their lives.

Nutritional benefits of 100 percent grass-fed beef:

• It's higher in good fats, including conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which may improve immune function, regulate blood sugar and stimulate fat burning in the body.

• It's higher in omega 3 fatty acids, which may help to prevent heart disease and diabetes.

• It's lower in fat overall (note to cooks: for optimum taste, cook it longer and at a lower temperature than conventional beef).

• Grass-finished beef is unlikely to have any additives, including chemicals, growth hormones or genetically modified feed.

• It's higher in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps with immune function.