With sprint speeds up to 45 miles per hour, eggs that weigh 3 pounds, and only 2 toes on each foot, ostriches have some pretty cool stats. However, the numbers behind ostrich meat may be even more interesting. Per 100 grams, ostriches pack 28 grams of protein and just 2.6 grams of fat, not to mention generous amounts of vitamins and minerals. Is it time that we start incorporating ostrich meat into our diets?
Nutritional Values
Ostriches are built for speed. In order to evade predators such as cheetahs, lions, and hyenas, the bird evolved high muscle contents and low intramuscular fat deposits. In other words, Ostrich is a lean meat.
Eating lean (low fat – especially saturated fat) meat can be important to maintain a healthy heart and weight. A study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health concluded that people who consume meat at high volumes are “27% more likely to be obese, and 33% more likely to have central obesity compared to those with low [meat consumption].”
This study looked at consumption of all meats, however it accounts for one of the main factors in our country’s obesity crisis. We eat too much meat, and perhaps the wrong types. An average American consumes around four times more beef, three times as much poultry, and two times the amount of pork than the average person globally (each containing higher fat contents than ostrich).
While each meat has its own unique problems (pork poses carcinogenic risks and chickens are often raised under inhumane raising conditions), beef stands out as the unhealthiest from a nutritional standpoint, and coincidentally tastes the most like ostrich.
Ostrich vs. Beef
Ostrich is sometimes described as tasting close to red meats and can be prepared very similarly to them. However, the meat is actually classified as poultry because it is sourced from an avian species, and not from a mammal. Ostrich tastes similar to beef, but, depending on how it is prepared, may taste more gamey and can have a slightly blander flavor due to low fat contents.
However, when it comes to nutritional benefits, ostrich has beef beat by a wide margin. Ostrich meat has a higher amount of protein, contains more minerals, has less sodium, and packs slightly better vitamin contents.
Ostrich contains 260% of your daily value, or DV, of vitamin B12, which aids in the production of red blood cells and DNA, and, in deficiency, can cause fatigue and depression. In addition to various other vitamins, ostrich contains minerals in higher amounts than beef, such as 68% of your DV in selenium, 44% of your DV in zinc, and 35% of your DV in iron. These minerals are used to facilitate immune and thyroid processes, growth/immune functions, and oxygen transport in blood, respectively.
Ostrich Preparation & Personal Experience
As mentioned above, ostrich can be prepared like other red meat, so that means busting out the grill or a pan for searing. An important bit to remember when cooking the meat is that it contains low fat contents, and therefore cooks quickly – only about four minutes per side.
To fully enjoy ostrich, it is suggested to marinate the meat in a sauce or dry-rub before cooking. It is often eaten in forms similar to beef: patties, meatballs, steak cuts, or even eaten raw. Ostrich tartare, anyone?
While I have yet to try ostrich tartare, I recently ordered the meat from American Ostrich Farms based in Idaho, in the form of their “Intro to Ostrich” box. The package contained ostrich meatballs, filets, ground steak, and kebab style cuts.
After having tried all but the ground ostrich, I can say that it lives up to my research. It tastes somewhat like beef, albeit a bit gamier, but in the end, with sauce and seasoning, is a delicious meat, and a healthier one too. I enjoyed the meatballs and kebabs the most.
Where to Find & Conclusion
The main source for ostrich meat is from online retailers. A quick Google search yields a surprising amount of American, Australian, and African based outlets that offer to ship the meat frozen. Supermarkets generally do not carry ostrich, at least around Philadelphia, although it can be found in stores in the form of jerky/beef sticks infused with other meats.
Unfortunately, ostrich’s lack of abundance and shipping costs cause prices to stay high for the food. Until it becomes as widespread as beef, pork, or poultry, ostrich remains unfeasible for the average person to add to their diet. Eventually, I believe that it may be possible for ostrich to gain mainstream traction, and even challenge beef as the healthier, more humane alternative.
