{"id":1393,"date":"2022-03-15T09:33:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T10:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=1393"},"modified":"2022-03-18T19:35:07","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T19:35:07","slug":"benefits-of-organ-meats-nutrient-packed-meatball-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/benefits-of-organ-meats-nutrient-packed-meatball-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Benefits of organ meats + nutrient-packed meatball recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Organ meats are often over-looked and science shows that they pack a big nutritional punch. Here are some of the benefits + a recipe for nutrient-packed meatballs!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Hiiiii hi! How are ya? I hope you\u2019re having a wonderful day. It\u2019s gorgeous here today, so I\u2019m going to head out for a midday hike, and am looking forward to family dinner tonight.<\/p>\n

For today\u2019s post, I\u2019m going to chat about something that\u2019s been getting more hype lately, but is an ancient nutrient-dense food source: organ meats.<\/strong> TBH, they\u2019re not the most popular superfood option in our country, especially if you\u2019ve heard stories of our parents gagging while eating liver and onions growing up. (Remember when we were younger and TV shows made Brussels sprouts seem like they\u2019re evil? And they\u2019re actually delicious\u2026 there\u2019s something to it.)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m writing this post knowing that some of my friends out there choose to not consume any animal products, and I love and respect that. If this post isn\u2019t a subject that you enjoy, please meet me back here to tomorrow to talk about walking routines \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

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(Maisey loves some chicken liver)<\/p>\n

Benefits of organ meats + nutrient-packed meatball recipe<\/h2>\n

Organ meats have been used for centuries in various cultures and countries.<\/strong> Some cultures consider various parts of an animal to bring good luck or good fortune, and many have strong beliefs rooted in using EVERY part of the animal you choose to consume. For myself, I consider the sources of where we choose to buy our meat, how the animal was raised, and how I can make the most of it without being wasteful. (This is why I love making bone broth!)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been all over the spectrum as far as my meat consumption goes, from not eating any meat for years, to only eating chicken and fish, to pescatarian, to almost raw vegan. I didn\u2019t start eating steak again until I was pregnant with P. Suddenly, my body was craving steak and I had to have it. When I told the Pilot, you should have seen his eyes light up lol. He drove straight to Whole Foods, bought a grass-fed steak, and I ate the entire thing.<\/p>\n

Since then, I\u2019ve had steak maybe once or twice a month, and red meat maybe once a week or so. It\u2019s not a huge part of my diet, but I absolutely feel better and have more energy when I get enough protein and I consume meat. Different things work for different bodies, and after lots of experimentation over the years, it\u2019s what works best for me.<\/p>\n

As I continue my education and research around health and vitality, organ meats have been a continuing theme. I feel like I\u2019ve heard more and more experts talk about them lately. While I never hesitate to feed the dogs certified organic organ meats from the butcher – they go CRAZY for them!- I\u2019ve finally become more comfortable giving them a whirl for myself, considering all of the benefits and nutrients they provide. I reached out the Mia and asked her if she\u2019d help me with a little nutrition cheat sheet for organ meats, and here\u2019s what she had to say:<\/p>\n

What are the benefits of including organ meats, especially grassfed beef liver, in the diet?<\/h3>\n

– Organ meats contain all bio-available vitamins and minerals without taking a supplement. Vitamin A, D, E, K, choline, Coenzyme Q10 (COQ10), Amino Acids<\/p>\n

– Important for healthy joints and collagen production, plus you\u2019ll have glowing skin thanks to the Vitamin A<\/p>\n

– Supports a healthy immune system. Vitamin D is critical for supporting our immune system and beef liver is loaded with it.<\/p>\n

– Contain vitamin B12, which supplies the body with energy. Skip the synthetic B vitamins and focus on whole food sources instead.<\/p>\n

– Great natural source of folate for moms, pre- post partum and babies in utero. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and requires conversion by the body to be bioavailable. Folate is critical for mamas and baby\u2019s brain development while in utero.<\/p>\n

– Organ meats, especially liver, contain all you need to properly nourish your baby\u2019s development! 3-4 ounces 1-2x a week is all you need while pregnant.<\/p>\n

– Liver is also an excellent source of copper, iron, selenium, and zinc<\/p>\n

– As far as calories go, the fattier portions (like tongue) will be higher in calories than lean meat<\/p>\n

What types of organ meats should I consume?<\/h3>\n

– You can see what\u2019s available at your butcher, but try starting out with grass-fed beef liver. If you don\u2019t want to eat it by itself, an easy way to consume it is by mixing it with ground beef. You\u2019ll never know it\u2019s there, but you\u2019ll get the bonus nutrients. You can also try taking a supplement instead! Mia recommends Ancestral\u00a0Supplements.<\/a><\/p>\n

You might be wondering, \u201cIf the liver\u2019s job is to filter out toxins, isn\u2019t it packed with toxins.\u201d Nope. The liver does an amazing job and pushes the toxins OUT; it doesn\u2019t hold onto them.<\/p>\n

You can also try experimenting with beef heart, tongue, kidneys, sweetbreads, and stomach. Growing up, my aunt would make tacos with cow tongue, and every year for New Years, we eat menudo with tripe. When I was a kid, madre told me if I stuck out my tongue, my aunt would make it into tacos. I knew she was joking, but stopped sticking out my tongue very quickly hahah.<\/p>\n

Where to buy organ meats?<\/h3>\n

– I check the butcher at Whole Foods and see what they have on hand. They almost always have grass-fed liver, and it\u2019s also extremely inexpensive. I think a local butcher is the best bet, because you can see what\u2019s available and check it out for yourself.<\/p>\n

– You can also ask butchers at any local farmers market<\/p>\n

– Online options! There are a ton of options online. I haven\u2019t tried any personally, but have heard good things about Tru<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a recipe for meatballs using beef liver – promise you can\u2019t taste it or tell a difference.<\/p>\n

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Beef Liver Nutrient Packed Meatball recipe<\/h3>\n

Ingredients<\/h4>\n

Grass fed ground beef (85\/15 or 90\/10)<\/p>\n

Grass fed liver<\/p>\n

Sweet vidalia onion<\/p>\n

Your favorite bacon or turkey bacon<\/p>\n

Eggs<\/p>\n

Parsley<\/p>\n

Chives<\/p>\n

Garlic<\/p>\n

Onion powder<\/p>\n

Salt<\/p>\n

Pepper<\/p>\n

Paleo ketchup<\/p>\n

Coconut Flour<\/p>\n

Instructions<\/h4>\n

You\u2019ll use the food processor to chop up the liver, and then mix all of the ingredients as you would any other meatball.<\/p>\n

Check out the full recipe here:<\/p>\n

Print<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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