I'm pretty sure eating the *grain* would be better.
The cow does use a lot of the energy in the grain for itself, and to grow the bits that you don't eat. Not to mention that grain is really bad for cows, because their digestive system evolved to process grass. Feeding them essentially pure starch is not good.

Not that I'm arguing against eating cows here... what a cow *is*, is a good way of turning grass into food for humans. Because eating the grass definitely wouldn't solve any problems. And grass-fed beef is nicer than grain-fed, anyway.
(julius, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 10:25, 1 reply)

Fair point
Yep, agree with the last paragraph. Generally though a lb of cow is going to give you more nutrition than a lb of grain (or grass, or any other plant) which was what I was trying to get at.

There's usually a mix in feeding. Bullocks will eat grass mostly but grain-based feed does come into it too to get them up to weight. All grain is very bad.

I am definitely having a steak tonight now.
( Scrumper, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 10:30, closed)

grain/grass/meat
er... Fail.

It's not really the point that meat is more energy-dense than grass or grain that is the point here. The point is, if you have one person, kept alive on meat, you could take the resources needed to do that, and feed 10 people, if they were vegans. And I'm not a hypocrite, I LOVE meat!! And eat lots of it too.
(Lump, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 13:42, closed)