Why Health Conscious Diners Are Turning To Wild Game Meats
Jim Hofman
Wild Game Meats Are Healthy, Tasty, and Now Available
The term "wild game" generally refers to wild animals and birds. Let's contrast wild game with farm-raised game. Farm raised game are originally wild species of animals and birds that have been raised for sale under existing State regulations. These regulations are important to consumers because game species raised on farms under appropriate conditions can be sold via the marketplace to the end consumer.
Conversely, wild game species cannot be sold, but can be harvested (hunted) for personal use. In essence, farm-raised game are specifically intended for the consumer marketplace, and are proving to be more and more popular as people discover their health benefits in comparison to traditional meats.
Further, those who may have been put off from trying unfamiliar types of meats are often pleasantly surprised at the mild, lean taste of game meats. Today's restaurant patrons will often see choices such as buffalo, ostrich, elk, caribou, and even rattlesnake. That said, the term wild game meat is still widely used and widely accepted as encompassing non traditional meats.
It's not uncommon to see game meats like buffalo, ostrich, and elk on restaurant menus. In fact, several prominent chain restaurants feature these meats due to rising consumer demand. While these meats being served to diners are actually farm raised game, the term wild game meat is still the most widely used and accepted term when discussing non traditional cuts of meat.
Elk and ostrich are two types of game meat occasionally seen on menus and via online providers. Elk, for example, is lower in fat than most meat, poultry, and fish products. Typical elk meat is extremely lean, generally slightly less than 1% fat content. Ostrich generally ranges from 2-3% fat. On the other hand, traditional meats are much higher in fat content. Ham is approximately 6% fat, chicken breast 2-4% fat, and roast beef 6-10% fat.
One of the most notable benefits of wild game meats are their fat content vs. traditional meats. Ostrich meat is lower in fat content than chicken breast, and surprisingly, elk meat is slightly less than 1% fat. Conversely, ham is approximately 6% fat and roast beef ranges from 6-10% fat. In fact, ostrich and elk meat have less fat and cholesterol than fish.
Summary
Wild game meats are rapidly becoming part of mainstream diets and restaurant choices due to their savory taste and health benefits. Elk, buffalo, ostrich, caribou, and many more types of wild game are available and easy to prepare as roasts, steaks, burgers, and more.
Jim Hofman is from Chicago and enjoys a tasty burger or a good steak. Jim discovered the great taste of
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http://www.squidoo.com/wildgamemeats) wild game meats here. Enjoy!
