Most people are pleasantly surprised at how delicious bison and ostrich meat taste. Though tender like beef, these meats have a sweeter and richer flavor. Chemical free, they contain more iron and protein than does beef. No wonder nutritionalists now recommend these meats to their clients. Bison and ostrich are the natural choice for dieters, athletes and health concious consumers. No longer limited to beef, red meat lovers now have some tasty and healthy alternatives.

Comparison chart

		Fat	Calories	Cholesterol
	Buffalo	2.42 gm	143	82 mg
	Beef	9.28 gm	211	86 mg
	Chicken	7.41 gm	190	89 mg
	Ostrich	2.80 gm	140	83 mg

Comparison based on certified independent research Sept. 1991, Feb. 1993
and USDA research revised May 1990. Based on Buffalo sirloin, beef sirloin (choice),
and chicken breast with skin on. All samples 100 grams (3.5 oz).

Remember The Cholesterol Connection. Cholesterol in our bodies is made from fat.
Look at the fat in beef compared to bison. Now this even after all visible fat has been
trimmed- only the marbled fat in the meat itself remained. There is nearly 4 times the as
much fat in beef as in bison. Also remember that saturated fats raise cholesterol in your
blood twice as much as an equal amount of polyunsaturated fat may lower it.

Type of Fat	Beef	Bison
Saturated	46.3%	43.4%
Polyunsaturated	8.2%	11.7%
Monounsaturated	45.5%	45.1%
Total Unsaturated	53.7%	56.8%

In summary: Ounce for ounce bison has only about 1/4 of the fat beef has, and is more unsaturated than beef.

The Formula for Healthy Eating:
Let's try the formula on beef and bison to see how they fit into the cholesterol diet guidelines.

	Beef	Bison
Grams of Fat:	13.1 * 9= 117.90	2.42 * 9= 21.78
Divide by Calories	117.90/ 222	21.78/ 143
Equals:	.53 * 100= 53%	.15 * 100= 15%

By this formula, beef is OUT and bison is IN.

 

Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers Magazine (Oct. 1985) says,
"On the Weight Watchers
food plan, buffalo is
considered to be a veal or poultry exchange." The NBA points out that is it even better than a poultry exchange.

The Taste Test:
The real treat is bison is
top of the line in tenderness
and taste. People are rapidly choosing to switch to bison rather than fight the beef fat/cholesterol battle.
Bison has no gamy flavor,
but rather tastes like red meat used to taste and
"like beef wished it tasted."

Getting Your
Money's Worth
With bison you are not paying for a lot of fat that has to be trimmed or cooked out.
Beef recipes today are calling for "extra lean", that is if you can ever really find this
product. Ground bison is all lean. Ounce per ounce purchased, you will find more edible meat with bison as compared with beef. This is especially true as bison does not cook down or shrink.
Who can honestly say that
they like going to the grocery store and paying for something they don't want and isn't good for them?
Bison is the logical alternative for those who enjoy red meat and want to get the maximum benefit from their purchase -- healthy food and good value.

 

Failed Atkins? Try the buffalo diet (PDF)

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