Wild Game

by on April 18, 2014


A great occasional substitute that I sometimes put in nutritional plans is wild game. Notice I said substitute, as these choices are leaner, much leaner in some cases, and my plans are not low fat. We need fat so we can reap the benefits of fat soluble vitamins.

My three favorites are probably ostrich, bison, and deer meat.

I used Ostrich a great deal for the Mr. USA contest in 2001 as a substitute for tuna, as it is very lean, and I lived beside a specialty grocery store. Some interesting facts about ostrich; ostrich are even safer from bacteria like E Coli, as they have an ideal PH balance (provided they are free range), the American Heart Association recommends Ostrich as its only source of red meat to be consumed by diabetics, and doctors are using Ostrich for cornea research as their cornea is the closest to humans. Ostrich are one of the few species that are not color blind. Bottom line is that free-range Ostrich provide a great source of protein.

Bison seems to be growing more and more in popularity these days. I like it because Bison aren’t subject to all the chemicals and hormones that cows are, and roam on grass. Actually, the National Bison Association even has a resolution for these substances to not be used in the production of meat. Can you imagine a Commercial Dairy Farm’s response to not pumping their cows full of drugs to increase milk production? Bison, like beef, is an excellent source of zinc, iron, B Vitamins, and of course protein. Bison is also very lean, leaner than chicken actually.

Deer meat is another good meat that I sometimes substitute in for variety for my clients that enjoy it. It is a fairly lean source of protein, and makes for awesome jerky.

Regards,
John Meadows