The Benefits of Eating Organ Meats + 3 Ways to Get Them into Your Diet
When you hear about organ meats, what comes to mind for you?
Yuck. That’s what I hear most often. Whether or not that’s the same thing for you, I have something to tell you…
Organ meats, known as offal, aren’t gross or awful (see what I did there?)! Ok, I get the handling part. They can get a little messy, but so can a lot of things, right? What if I told you organ meats are one of the most nutrient-dense foods (if not the most nutrient-dense) on the planet and are tasty when prepared properly? Have I piqued your curiosity now? Good, let’s continue :)
The most common organ meats talked about are liver, heart, and kidney. Sure, you can dive into the benefits of eating other animal organ meat, such as spleen, but we are just going to focus on these three. Liver, heart, and kidney are incredibly good for the body and pack a punch for organs like liver, heart, and kidney (did you see that one coming?). Organ meats are rich in vitamins, minerals, fats, and amino acids, making them one of the most nourishing foods to consume to support the body.
Organ Meat Nutrients
Liver
Rich in vitamin A, choline, B12, folate, vitamin D, magnesium, and copper (which tends towards depletion if there is thyroid or adrenal imbalance).
Liver is approximately 17x higher in B12 than ground beef. It’s considered “nature’s multivitamin” because of how vitamin and mineral-rich it is.
Heart
Rich in selenium, zinc, iron, copper, and coq10.
Where liver shines in B12 and vitamin A, heart shines with Coq10. Coq10 helps prevent oxidative stress and supports energy production and overall cardiovascular health (Kresser, 2019). Heart is one of the best ways to source Coq10
Kidney
Rich in iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and B12.
Organ meats score higher in nutrients compared to most foods, including muscle meats. They are highly beneficial to everyone. They are especially vital for fertility + pregnancy (for you and baby!) and postpartum women. Organ meats are cheaper than muscle meats, which a large part of that is due to the fact organ meats are in less demand. They are also easy to prep and sneak into recipes. The recommendation is to get in about 4oz. of organ meats in a week, give or take.
Sourcing is really important for organ meats, just like it is for muscle meats. You want to make sure you are consuming high quality so that you know you are getting organs that are nutrient-dense vs nutrient-depleted. Much of this is based on how the animal is treated and raised. The quality of meat + nutrients has decreased due to industrial farming, which has led to the reduction of nutrient-dense soil and biodiversity. The sad fact is our food isn’t as nutrient-dense as it used to be and the varieties of foods now available to us are significantly less now.
This is why there is a strong need to get back to our roots and support movements like regenerative farming. Holistic and regenerative farmers look at the farming process as a whole, caring for the ecosystem + animals they raise, which supports the earth and us. How cool is that?
Aim to buy pasture-raised and grass-fed organ meats for the highest nutrient content. Ok, I know what you’re thinking? How do I eat organ meats? That’s an excellent question!
3 ways you can incorporate organ meats into your diet
Sneak them into recipes of your choosing (recommend a beef dish to start).
Cut them into pill size and freeze to take later by themselves as you would another supplement or freeze them into cubes to toss into a recipe later.
Take organ supplements.
This article by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne inspired me to experiment with organ meats, specifically liver, more. The key to sneaking liver into your recipes or throwing it into the pan with some grass-fed butter and onions is to soak your liver first. Soaking reduces the metallic flavor and makes it more palatable. You can soak it in milk or lemon juice for at least two hours in the fridge. I prefer lemon juice so that’s what I do!
Organ Meat Recipes
Superfood Chili (I’ve also used chicken hearts in place of liver in this recipe!)
Turkish (Hidden Liver) Meatballs with Paleo Cacik
*I’ve tried two of these recipes and both were delicious! Vance nor I could taste the liver.
Aside from cutting into pill sizes to take throughout the week, you can also pulverize liver in a food processor or blender until smooth and then freeze in an ice cube tray. Pull a cube or two out to throw into a beef recipe to up the nutrient density. No need to thaw the cubes before cooking as they are small enough to cook down. Try adding liver to a more spiced dish at first and see how you do. You can up the amount from one to two as you become familiar with eating liver.
As for organ supplements, I recommend Ancestral Supplements or Paleo Valley. Remember – the quality of your supplements is important!
Ok friends, still with me? I hope so! Organ meats are not to be feared, so please don’t let them scare you. They are incredibly supportive of your body since they are jam-packed with nutrients. Whether you try out an organ meat recipe, freeze them in cubes, or take a quality organ supplement, I hope you will give them a try!
A tip from me to you – start small with the least potent organ such as heart or chicken vs beef liver, as beef liver is much larger. Try out different methods + recipes and take note of which ones were a hit with you and your family. Liver might not “taste like chicken”, but it can be tasteless when cooked right (as in, not overcooked) and spiced up. Before you know it, you’ll be craving liver and eating it with onions, just like Doug Funny. Any late 80s/ early 90s kids in the house?
You don’t necessarily need to take supplement A to Z to have a thriving body. More often than not, your body just wants real, nutrient-dense food. That said, with the state of our soil and lack of microbial diversity, supplements may be needed. Regardless, increasing (or starting) your intake of quality organ meats will do your body wonders. They are the least expensive, most nutrient-dense “multivitamins” on the planet. So, why wouldn’t you give them a try (now that we’ve gotten past the taste issue)?
For what it’s worth, every time I have liver I have an instant surge of energy. I contribute that to liver’s B-vitamin content. Nothing else I’ve tried gives me the energy that liver gives me. That’s a win!
Go ahead, give organ meats a try and see how you feel. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Sources
Ballantyne, S. Dr. (2012). Why Everyone Should Be Eating Organ Meat. Retrieved from https://www.thepaleomom.com/why-everyone-should-be-eating-organ/
Kresser, C. M.S. (2019). How to Eat More Organ Meats. Retrieved from https://chriskresser.com/how-to-eat-more-organ-meats/
Wells, K. (2021). Are Organ Meats Healthy?. Retrieved from https://wellnessmama.com/12579/organ-meat/