Not all meat labeled “grass fed” is from animals that have eaten grass their entire life. Here’s how to tell the real from the fake.

If you’re looking for a great steak these days, you’re not only looking for succulence but also a piece of meat with premium nutrition that didn’t come from an animal-abusing, earth-polluting factory farm. 

Grass fed beef, from animals that only grazed on grass their entire lives, is unique because it provides all of these qualities in every cut. This is why the market for grass fed beef has been soaring with double-digit growth over the past several years, according to industry sources.

So, while it’s still uncommon, grass fed beef is easier than ever to find in grocery stores. However, the premium price for beef in the grass fed market, which reached $480 million this year, means that some marketers are labeling their product as “grass fed” when it really isn’t. Short of going to the farm yourself, how are you supposed to know what’s real and what’s not?