A lean meat game-changer: a healthy red meat protein you'll love.

Bison meat has been on the rise as a popular option for consumers looking for healthier, more sustainable meat options. With a number of upsides including a favorable nutrition composition, great red meat flavor and taste, ranching practices and versatility, bison meat has been stampeding its way into kitchens across the country as a new healthy protein for conscientious carnivores.

These writers are already recommending bison meat as a leaner alternative.

• Livestrong.com – Buffalo Meat vs. Beef Nutriton: "While beef and bison are comparable in certain ways, bison comes out ahead when it comes to nutrition."
• AOL Lifestyle – The 10 best meats and the 10 worst ones: "Buffalo (also known as bison) can be a great healthy alternative to red meat like steak or beef. The taste of buffalo is comparable to that of more common red meats and it has half as much fat and fewer calories."
• WBRC Fox News – Meat eaters finding bison tasty alternative: "According to the USDA, bison is lower in calories and fat than beef and higher in protein and iron."

The nutrition facts speak for themselves: low in fat, high in protein.

Above is a comparison of bison with several other common meat proteins. As you can see, it performs very well in a side-by-side comparison.

Of course, as with any meat, the nutrition facts will vary based on the cut. Ground Bison will always be a little fattier, while the steaks and prime cuts will be on the leaner end of the spectrum. However, no matter the cut you are looking at, generally it will still rank better than comparable cuts from other meats.

Naturally raised meat: no hormones, no steroids, no antibiotics.

One of the big pulls towards bison meat is the methods used to raise bison. I'll bet you didn't know it's actually illegal to use growth hormones in bison. Bison producers across the country are committed to producing meat that is naturally raised, which means:

• animals roam free on grass for most of their lives
• no antibiotics used
• no steroids or growth hormones
• bison are minimally handled and allowed to roam according to their instincts and natural social hierarchies.

But what does bison meat taste like?

It's a fair question. And I have no downsides for you here! Most people who try bison meat agree that it tastes pretty similar to beef with a few differences, often being described as "cleaner", "lighter", "sweeter" or "richer".

Bison meat should not taste gamey, which is often a concern that is easily debunked with a single bite of steak.

But don't just take my word for it. Here are a couple other sources from people discussing the taste of bison:

• Serious Eats – My First Taste of Bison: "All health perks aside, what stuck with me most about the bison was its texture and flavor. It was so lean, so finely marbled–and yet much more tender, and softer, than beef. The flavor was more delicate, less pronounced, but still satisfyingly meaty. It instantly became my favorite meat"
• Wausau Foodie – Steak Shootout Buffalo vs Grass Fed Beef Taste Test: "On the whole, I found that the Bison had a slightly sweeter and more mellow taste than beef. The Bison did not taste 'gamey' but had a great lean beef taste. Even for its lack of marbling, the bison was very tender both to the knife and to the bite. Taste wise, it had a similar profile to the grass fed beef; the only thing that set the two meats apart was the smoother texture of the bison."
• Consumer Reports – Bison vs. Beef Burgers: "Our testers found the bison very similar to lean beef. In fact, they thought it was lean beef - until they tasted them side-by-side, and then they found some slight differences in flavor.

What about cooking? Bison is very versatile and works in any of your meaty recipes.

Substituting bison meat as a leaner protein is a great way to keep red meat in your recipes and diet. Bison meat should be cooked lower and slower than other meats, due to its leanness. But it can still be grilled, cooked over the stove-top, baked and broiled just like your other meats. Here are four lean meat bison recipes to get you started:

Savory Oven Roasted Bison Meatballs  |  Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Bison Burgers  |  Rustic Bison Chili

For the leanest cuts, we recommend these bison products:

• Bison Flat Iron Steak (8 oz.):
  7g fat; 3g saturated fat; 140mg sodium; 270 calories; 48g protein | Buy Now
  
• Bison Filet Mignon (6 oz.):
  3g fat; 1g saturated fat; 100mg sodium; 180 calories; 38g protein | Buy Now
  
• Bison Top Sirloin (10 oz.):
  7g fat; 2.5g saturated fat; 140mg sodium; 320 calories; 61g protein | Buy Now
  
• Bison Rump Roast (per 4 oz.):
  2.5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 55mg sodium; 140 calories; 26g protein | Buy Now
  
• Ground Bison (per 4 oz.):
  11g fat; 4.5g saturated fat; 65mg sodium; 200 calories, 22g protein | Buy Now | Okay, so we know this isn't the leanest option in bison, but ground meat is so frequently used in popular meals, we thought it'd be good to show you its favorable breakdown as well.
  
  
• We even offer a Lean Meat (Bison) Starter Pack that includes each of these items to get you started at a savings of $20. | Buy Now

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