Friday Feast: Health Benefits of Wild Game

With Halloween behind us it’s time for some of us to get back on that healthy track! A great way to do that is by increasing your wild game intake as it has a long list of health benefits.

Wild game meat is as organic as it gets. Meat you harvest yourself, clean, and prepare is free of all those pesticides and growth hormones that could be lingering in your food from the grocery store.

Another difference between wild game and factory or farm raised meat is the content of free fatty acids.  For example, a cow’s natural diet consists of grass, yet factory farmed cattle are fed corn according to Nurse Practitioner Kristen Andrs. When cows are fed corn, essential nutrients our body’s need, like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), are almost nonexistent from the meat.  

“CLA is an important nutrient that helps the body burn fat,” Andrs explains. “This can lead to decreased obesity rates and improve heart health.”

Another nutrient found in wild game meat is B12. It’s one of eight B vitamins that helps the body convert the food you eat into glucose, which in return gives you energy.

One benefit hunters may not always think about is the hunt itself. Hunting requires individuals to be physically fit, especially when traveling through rough terrain. On the other hand, there may be hours of sitting in a tree stand or duck blind. Those are hours of being disconnected from electronics and simply being in nature. This alone has been proven over and over to be healing in itself.

Here is a great wild game recipe that includes additional beneficial ingredients for heart health and will hopefully make it easier for you to get back on track after consuming all of that candy!

Spicy Dry Rub Elk Tacos


Photo and recipe courtesy of Food.com

Ingredients
2 elk steaks
1 onion
1 tomatoes
1 avocado
1 lime
1 yellow sweet bell pepper
1 red sweet bell pepper
6 corn tortillas
1 cup cabbage
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin

Directions
1. In a small bowl add all spices and blend together.
2. Place sirloin cuts on a cutting board and season with dry rub on both sides.  
3. Let the meat sit and marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Put the meat to the side and begin chopping up all of your taco ingredients:

• Onions
• Bell peppers
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Anything else you want to add

5. Cook your taco shells after your taco condiments are ready and set aside in a 250 degree oven to keep warm.
6. Be sure before putting the meat on the grill that you get your cast iron grill good and hot.
7. Place meat on grill and cook for 3-4 minutes turning diagonally and cooking for another 3-4 minutes before turning over and cooking on the other side.
8. Remove meat immediately and let rest for a few minutes before slicing in 1/4 inch slices across the grain.

Serves 3-4

We hope this advice helps to provide you with a different perspective of your hard work and dedication to wild game, or maybe even inspire you to start exploring the option! Share your healthy recipes with us in the comments below or @NRABlog!