Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I've never really eaten pork before, but I'm trying to get some bacon into my diet after reading the rave reviews here. What is the gold standard for pork? Everything I saw at the whole foods store said grain-fed.

flag	asked Nov 2 2010 at 15:21 Olga 1,926●2●14●35

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Forest Fed pork tastes amazing. – Stephen-Aegis Nov 2 2010 at 17:32

Look for free range or wild pork. Pastured pork is ok, but not as good as truly free range. – VelaCreations Nov 3 2010 at 4:55

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Pigs do eat grass. We raise hundreds of pigs on pasture in northern Vermont. Our pigs eat hundreds of thousands of pounds of hay in the winter and graze about 70 acres of pastures in the summers. Pasture represents the vast majority of their diet and most of that is grass. It saves us from having to buy commercial hog feed or grain and it produces a better quality pork. Letting your pigs graze pasture will make them taste better, up their Omega-3 Fatty Acid profile (the good stuff - we're doing research on this with a lab) and make them less expensive to raise. Sometimes we get some – pubwvj Nov 18 2011 at 18:19

pubwvj, I think I have seen you post on a permaculture forum? – Warren D Jan 15 2012 at 0:39

VelaCreations, I have seen you on there too. – Warren D Jan 15 2012 at 0:44

Andariego · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-02 16:08:12Z UTC

Pigs don't eat grass. Ruminant animals are the only animals that have adapted the ability to digest grass-- http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruminant

Look for pastured pork from a farm. Pigs are omniorous, like us. They need to be able to roam around and eat grubs, fruit, tubers, ect. The factory farmed pigs don't get this.

Ben · Answer 2 · 2010-11-02 15:54:15Z UTC

I think it's tough to find well-treated swine if you don't buy from a local farm. I agree with Kricka, Applegate is a pretty good (and tasty) brand for bacon.

Pigs are omnivores, so if you can't buy from a farm (I highly recommend buying local from a farm) look for pork that is pastured. Pastured pork can get more of the foods they require. A quick google search of "Pastured Pork" brings up a few brands you might check out.

Ambimorph · Answer 3 · 2010-11-02 16:02:07Z UTC

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Also see: http://paleohacks.com/questions/4444/what-should-pigs-be-eating

answered Nov 2 2010 at 16:02

Ambimorph
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	opps, sorry to have missed that question in my original search – Olga Nov 2 2010 at 17:38
	No problem. We've got a lot of threads. :) – Ambimorph Nov 2 2010 at 19:34

kilton · Answer 4 · 2010-11-02 20:27:12Z UTC

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http://texasgrassfedbeef.com/id78.htm

answered Nov 2 2010 at 20:27

kilton
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kricka · Answer 5 · 2010-11-02 15:47:47Z UTC

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With bacon, I think it is more about eating an uncured version.

As always, you want meat that is raised without unnecessary anti-biotics.

Applegate Farms is a good one if you don't have access to a local farm. I am sure there are plenty of others out there these days.

answered Nov 2 2010 at 15:47

kricka
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Yea, I was looking at the Applegate Farms bacon yesterday. But then I saw that it said "grain-fed" and I put it back. – Olga Nov 2 2010 at 17:37

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I'm not convinced that pigs should be only grass-fed, seeing as if left to their own devices, they seem to eat just about anything.. – kricka Nov 9 2010 at 19:25

VelaCreations · Answer 6 · 2010-11-03 04:50:14Z UTC

This is from that web site and is extremely suspicious:

Not only are acorns highly seasonal, but in actual fact they are really not at nutritious as grass by any means

Acorns are far more nutritious than grass, no comparison at all. They are seeds, like grains, and are packed with nutrition. I would like to see that website provide a source for that information, and I question the validity of the rest of their information.

Those pigs do not look healthy in those photos. Pigs cannot survive on grass alone. They need large amounts of protein, and grass is severely lacking in protein.

coprophagous · Answer 7 · 2012-01-14 21:42:11Z UTC

Pigs eat paleo man food as a regular diet. then, they got domesticated like modern man and eat the SAD diet. Modern man cat eat grass, neither can a pig. Oh sure they will eat anything to survive and so will a man, just look how the north Koreans ate all the bark from trees. if i were a billionaire i would feed my pigs paleo and eat them. you wont be getting me to ever eat a grass fed pig.

Gone · Answer 8 · 2010-11-03 11:53:44Z UTC

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Grass-fed pork - does it exist?

Yes, it does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjf9F5YOq7A

answered Nov 3 2010 at 11:53

Gone
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Crystal · Answer 9 · 2011-08-17 21:54:33Z UTC

Grass fed pork, I get from a local farm rainbow ranch farms and the pigs are grass fed + they get veggies and fruits too. But where to get exotic meats? I have been looking for off the norm, like alligator and bear. I travel, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Grass-fed pork - does it exist?

9 Answers