The meat industry as it currently stands is cruel, unsustainable, and frankly indefensible. In the case of beef, the industry produces meat that is unhealthy, from stressed out animals that are pumped full of antibiotics and fed a highly unnatural diet of throwaway grains and even candy!
However, I would avoid conflating factory farmed beef with the beef that comes from healthy cows that have been allowed to pasture on grass (their natural diet), and only experience as their farmers like to say, only one bad day.
Much of the debate surrounding the nutritional value of meat centers on protein (the most satiating macronutrient), but I believe it's critical to broaden the conversation to nutrients other than protein that come from choosing grass-fed beef. For example, grass-fed beef is a rich source of minerals such as iron and zinc (which is important for our immune system). Also, it's a great source of omega-3 fats (the heart healthy fat) as opposed to grain-fed beef. When livestock are fed grains the levels of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid rise, while the levels of beneficial omega-3 fats plummet, resulting in a poor decision for our heart's sake.
Takeaway: Be Mindful of where your money is going with each dollar spent a vote is casted to what you approve of.