A conversation with Stephanie Greunke, MS, RD, PMH-C, CPT, WHOLE30 Dietician and Education Manager. This article originally appeared in the 2021 Panorama Perspective, available at retailers who carry Panorama Organic products.
Q. Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats has been a longtime partner with Whole30. How has the brand aligned with your program?
A: Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats’ commitment to providing high-quality organic, grass-finished beef products, including their new bone broth, aligns with our program and partner standards that include GAP Certification. Having the Whole30 Approved trademark on Panorama’s product packaging is a great way to quickly show consumers that their product line and the company that stands behind it have been vetted by the Whole30 team.
Q: You recommend grass-finished and organic on the labels. Why?
A: If it’s accessible, grass-finished beef that is also organic is a great choice. This is because “organic” is a USDA-regulated term that ensures farmers complete a certification process that complies with their regulatory standards. This includes the requirement that organic beef must come from cattle that are raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviors, are fed 100 percent organic feed and forage, and are not administered antibiotics or hormones. They must also be raised on a farm that doesn’t use harmful pesticides, GMOs, or sewer sludge. Many persistent organic pollutants are lipid-soluble and are stored in the fat of animals, making leaner cuts like grass-finished beef important from an environmental contaminant perspective.
Q. Why is eating healthy with whole natural foods so important?
A. Whole, natural foods provide our bodies with the basic building blocks to support optimal health. The Whole30 promotes eating whole foods to reduce systemic inflammation, regulate blood sugar, ensure nutrient-density, and promote a healthy relationship with food.
Q. What’s your favorite Whole30 grass-fed beef recipe?
A. I love the slow cooker smoky sweet potato chili that uses ground beef. It takes just a few minutes of hands-on time to prepare and then the slow cooker does the rest of the work. It makes enough for dinner and leftovers the next day, which is always a plus!
Q. Why is it so important to understand labels? Why are they so confusing?
A. When you’re doing the Whole30 it’s important to check labels because there are lots of sneaky ways sugar shows up in foods you’d never guess have sugar, particularly condiments. You may also find corn, dairy, wheat, or soy in products you typically consume that you never realized were there. Because we understand that label reading can be confusing, we created the Whole30 Approved program. When you see the Whole30 Approved label, you know we’ve already done the work making sure the product is compatible. We still think label reading is an important skill and life lesson, so even when you’re not following the Whole30 program, it’s a good idea to see what you’re purchasing so you can be an informed consumer.
