This Popular Grocery Chain Is One Of The Most Reliable Sources Of Ground Beef

When you decide to cook a recipe that calls for ground beef, unless you have a local butcher, you'll most likely head out to a nearby supermarket, which might be part of a well-known chain of supermarkets across the U.S. Costco has decent options for ground beef, but not all are of the highest quality. There are some meats you should avoid buying there. Tasting Table took a look at the meats you probably buy at 20 popular chain grocery stores and ranked them based on quality and availability. Our results may surprise you, with Target, Trader Joe's, and Walmart at the bottom of our list. One supermarket chain stands out as exceptional in offering a wide selection of the absolute best quality ground beef: Sprouts Farmers Market. It may not be as omnipresent as its competitor Whole Foods, but it's worth seeking one out, even if it's a bit of a drive.

You'll find a mind-bending array of all kinds of humanely raised meats from local farms and sustainable seafood, and Sprouts' 100-percent grass-fed ground beef is a stand-out. Sprouts sources all of its beef from Grass Run Farms, known for its well-curated collaborative of family farmers in the Midwest. These ranchers are especially protective of their herds, ensuring that the cows graze only on local grasses every day of the year, even when weather conditions are extreme. Most cattle are forced to eat grain, and there's a big difference in quality and taste.

The saying "you are what you eat" isn't just important for us humans. Although the jury's out as to whether grass-fed beef is better for us than grain-fed beef, cows that forage grass tend to have lower fat and higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins, all of which can contribute to good heart health. Probably the biggest difference between the two is that the grass-fed cows that Sprouts sources from Grass Run Farms are hormone- and antibiotic-free and roam freely. By contrast, grain-fed cows live out their lives confined to crowded feeding pens and may receive antibiotics. Additionally, hormones can be given to stimulate the animals' growth.

The USDA has definitions for what goes into ground beef and the kind that's labeled "hamburger meat," which is fattier and lower quality. Generally, ground beef is composed of different primal cuts and fat trimmings, but the USDA allows the cow's heart, tongue, and other offal to be tossed into the grinder as well. We're not knocking this meat at all; in fact, some of our favorite recipes are with ground beef. But due to Sprouts' commitment to sustainability and animal welfare, its offerings most likely boast a higher quality than you'll find elsewhere.