A quick guide for buying pastured meats online

With the growing consumer demand for quality protein sources, the meat department is getting more confusing by the day. Trying to keep up with all the new label claims and knowing what’s important and what’s not sometimes even has this dietitian’s head spinning! 

To cut through the confusion there have been several companies that have started to hand select farmers around the country who are raising their livestock in a way that’s sustainable, humane, and has the highest nutritional value for human consumption and deliver that meat straight to your doorstep. Two of these companies are ButcherBox and Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative (GRFC). 

These two companies offer grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, and humanely-raised pork. I have personally purchased meat from both of these companies and I will share with you the differences between the companies and my review of the quality of meat I received. 

Let’s start with some facts for each company:

ButcherBox

• Subscription based service for delivery every 4 or 8 weeks. If you call customer service they can select for you a less frequent option. 
• Free shipping for every box. 
• Meat is delivered frozen on dry ice.
• Customize your own box selections or allow ButcherBox to curate your box for you. 
• Choose from two different box sizes: Classic (9-14 lb meat) or Big Box (18-26 lb meat)
• All packaging materials are recyclable. 
• Almost every time you order (especially as a new customer) there’s a promotion for extra savings. 
• View recipes on their website if you don’t know what to do with a cut of meat you receive. 

Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative 

• Ala carte ordering of meats. Order the exact cuts of meat and amount that you need. Reorder at any time.
• Several times a year the company promotes a specially curated box of meat at a discounted price. This is what drew me to order for the first time.
• Free shipping on orders over $120. Or $25 flat rate for all other orders. 
• Take advantage of their $50 new customer coupon! 
• $30 off coupon when you sign up for their email list. 
• Earn reward points on every purchase. 
• View the full list of farms used to fill orders on their website. You can also view the exact farm your meat came from on the package of meat itself. Pretty cool! 
• Selection is always changing depending on what’s available from their farms. Common cuts such as ground beef, chicken breast and thighs, and bacon are always available. 

Comparison of Taste and Quality 

You know the saying, “You get what you pay for”? That is 100% true with your meat! When I cook the steaks or pork chops from either company, I add very little seasoning to the meat because it tastes so good on it’s own! In a blind taste test I doubt I could taste the difference between these two companies; however, both taste much better than any conventional meat I’ve purchased at the grocery store. 

Bacon tends to get a bad reputation when it comes to health. Full of saturated fat and very little protein. I’ve even recommended to my own patients that it’s not good to eat bacon every day. However, when you choose bacon that was humanely raised, provided a diet that nature intended for the pig, you end up with a better ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids in your final cut of bacon (or any animal meat for that matter). 

Why does this matter? Because in a Standard American Diet (SAD – ironic right??) we already get waaaay too many Omega 6 fatty acids from vegetable oils in processed foods and not enough Omega 3’s. 

If I had to choose my perfect selection of meats from both companies, I would choose sirloin steaks and breakfast sausage from ButcherBox and bacon and pork chops from GRFC. I would not reorder the bacon ends from GRFC, these leftover pieces of bacon at a lower price were mostly fat and minimal meat. 

As far as deliver goes, both companies ship to you door their meat on dry ice. All the times I’ve ordered meat delivered to my door it has always come completely frozen solid. When I ordered from GRFC, there was a longer timeline from billing to delivery; however, my order was being processed over Memorial Day. It was shipped 6 days after billing (this included the holiday) and delivered to my door 4 days later. Butcher Box typically ships the day after billing and delivered 4 days later. 

Comparison of Price

This is a difficult comparison because of the way the two companies offer their services: subscription by the pound vs ala carte. I was however able to compare pricing on a few select items because ButcherBox does allow for some add-on items. When I purchase from ButcherBox, I always order the Classic Custom Box for $149 which gives me 9-14# of meat. I usually select a combination of bacon, chicken thighs, sirloin steaks, and ground pork sausage. 

My first order from GRFC included the curated Bulletproof Box (selected by Dave Asprey) for $95 which included: 2x1lb ground beef, 2x beef New York strip steaks, 1 lb pork sausage, 2 pork chops, 1 whole chicken, 1 lb chicken thighs, and 1.5 lb chicken drumsticks. I also added bacon ends, breakfast sausage, and bacon for a grand total of $101.30 (this price included shipping + $50 off coupon).

Based on my assessment, it appears ButcherBox is in general the more affordable option compared to purchasing outright from Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative. However, if you purchase a special curated box from GRFC the price per pound will likely be less. 

Would I Purchase Again? 

I will likely purchase from both of these companies again! If I want to choose my own meats to restock my freezer, I will likely choose ButcherBox. When it comes to selecting your own meats, the prices tend to be a little better. However, if I see a great selection of meats from a curated GRFC promotion, I would choose their company. Since taste and overall quality are extremely similar, I would be proud to recommend and personally purchase from either company in the future. Your choice really comes down to how much say you want in the cuts sent to your door and if you prefer ala carte vs subscription. 

Megan’s Must Order List

ButcherBox

• Bacon
• Chicken thighs
• Breakfast sausage

Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative

• Bacon
• Bone-in pork chops
• Whole chicken 

***Click here to try ButcherBox***

***Click here to try Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative***

The above links are referral links, NOT affiliate links. 

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