How Pasture Raised Chicken Supports Your Health
When you are someone who cares about their health, deciding what “healthy options” to spend your money on is stressful. That money is hard earned and we don’t want to waste it. The options are endless…there are so many supplements and products out there that claim to help you with x,y or z and some of them do. But do you have to stay on them? Will they actually work? What benefits do they actually have?
We have option overload these days when it comes to our health which is great that there seems to be a turn in the tide for better health but it sure can be difficult to navigate. We’ve been there, trying multiple different gut health supplements, different regiments and therapies. But we can’t stay on them forever. They may be a good starting point to boost us into a better physical position. There are 3 things that I keep coming back to for my physical health. 1) Consistency - a diet doesn’t affect lasting change, it needs to be life change. 2) Whole foods - good clean whole foods are the win for the long run. 3) Peace - none of this matters if we can’t find peace. Stress will just keep knocking us back down.
Chicken raised on pasture does have nutritional benefits but let’s find out if it’s a tool you would like to use in your toolbox. This is information taken from research done by APPPA, an international pastured poultry group that I am a part of. They compare USDA chicken bought in the store to chicken raised on pasture by doing a 3rd party lab analysis of the meat.
Here are the results
1. Nearly Twice the Omega-3s
Pasture-raised chicken contains almost 91% more omega-3 fatty acids than the USDA reference.
Why that matters
Omega-3 fats help support:
heart health
normal brain function
eye health
healthy inflammatory responses
2. A Better Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio
The USDA reference chicken averaged 15:1, while the pasture-raised birds averaged 5:1.
Why that matters
Researchers have suggested that diets with a lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio are associated with:
healthier inflammatory balance
heart health
3. Four Times More Vitamin E
Pasture-raised broilers averaged 408% more vitamin E than the USDA reference.
Why that matters
Vitamin E:
acts as an antioxidant
helps protect cells from oxidative damage
supports immune function
helps maintain healthy skin and tissues
4. Naturally Occurring Vitamin D3
Store-bought chickens had virtually no detectable vitamin D3, while pasture-raised birds averaged 17.8 IU/100 g. This is attributed to sunlight exposure.
Why that matters
Vitamin D helps:
your body absorb calcium
build and maintain strong bones
support normal immune function
support muscle function
The amount in chicken is not enough to replace sunlight or other dietary sources, but it demonstrates how a bird's outdoor lifestyle can influence its nutritional profile.
5. About Half the Total Fat
Pasture-raised chicken contained roughly 50% less total fat than the USDA reference values. Saturated fat was also about 52% lower.
Why that matters
A leaner chicken means:
fewer calories from fat
more protein relative to total calories
Of course none of this is about what IS NOT in the chicken so briefly, let me tell you that a properly raised chicken on pasture does not need all the vaccines and medications that are normally administered in confinement houses.
Being informed and knowing the benefits of your food gives you the confidence to say ‘Yes, I want that for my family’ or ‘No, I don’t need that’. It becomes easier to make food decisions and know what you want to spend your hard earned money on.
If it is for you, then each time you serve it to your family, you can do it with a smile on your face, knowing how it is transforming their health from the inside out. Gone will be the days of wondering what junk they are ingesting.
