We’ve become accustomed to having a plentiful and cheap supply of meat in our shops and our kitchens – from chicken to lamb and beef, most of us can afford to eat meat at least once a day if we choose to.

This is great for our protein intake, especially for growing children, but increasingly we’re thinking about the lives of the animals we’re eating and more of us want to know that they were happy before they landed on our plates. While some of us will become vegetarian or even vegan, some of us will carry on eating meat, eggs and milk as long as we know the animal was treated well throughout its life.

If you’re a regular beef-eater, you’ll want to aim for grass-fed beef as this is the best life a cow can have, and here’s why:

Grass-fed cows get out and about

Unlike intensively-reared beef cows, happy cows spend their days grazing, mooching, socialising and basking. They get access to varied seasonal pasture, all of which translates to high-quality, nutritious beef that’s higher in omega fats and vitamin E, to name but to beneficial nutrients.

Happy cows spend longer with friends ‘n’ family

In feedlots, cows are crammed in together and have no opportunity to move around, to escape each other and to express natural behaviours. This leads to aggression, injuries and mental stress. In the case of milk cows, they are separated from their calves within minutes, whereas beef cows have the opportunity to stay with their calves and friends for longer.

Slow-grown cows get more exercise

Cows are meant to mooove! Being extensively-reared means they get all the daily exercise they need, which lowers their stress levels to pretty much zero, builds great lean tissue and makes for healthier and happier eating for us humans when the time comes.