Is Culver’s Beef Grass-Fed? The Honest Truth

Culver’s is a popular fast food chain known for their tasty ButterBurgers and custard. With around 700 restaurants across the Midwest, they go through a lot of beef! But is their beef grass-fed? In this article, we’ll uncover the truth about Culver’s beef sourcing and nutrition.

The Short Answer

After extensive research, we can definitively say that Culver’s beef is not grass-fed According to their website, their fresh, never frozen beef patties come from grain-fed Midwest cattle.

While grass-fed beef has some health advantages over grain-fed, Culver’s makes no grass-fed claims. Their sourcing focuses on animal welfare and responsible farmers over diet.

How Culver’s Sources Their Beef

All Culver’s restaurants across the U.S. get their burgers from the same group of Midwest beef suppliers. These family-owned companies follow ethical guidelines for animal care and handling.

The specific farms are not publicized, but Culver’s states their beef comes from grain-fed cattle raised with no hormones or steroids The three cuts used are chuck, sirloin, and plate.

While not grass-fed, Culver’s fresh approach stands out in fast food. The beef is never frozen, cold-processed, and hand-formed daily for each restaurant.

Why Grass-Fed Beef Matters

Grass-fed beef comes from cows raised on a natural diet of grasses, not grain. This results in a healthier fat profile with more good fats like omega-3s. Grass-fed beef is lower in calories and fat overall yet high in antioxidants and nutrients.

Grass-fed cows also enjoy more humane treatment, roaming freely and eating a natural diet. This sustainable approach avoids the ethical issues of feedlots and benefits the environment.

So while grain-fed beef is more common in fast food, grass-fed is considered superior for animal welfare, sustainability, and human health. Culver’s choice reflects the norm rather than the ideal.

Nutrition Info on Culver’s Beef

While not grass-fed Culver’s beef still offers a reasonable nutritional profile. Here are the basics for a single ButterBurger patty

• Calories: 280
• Total fat: 14g
• Saturated fat: 5g
• Protein: 20g

This comes in slightly under fast food averages. For comparison, a McDonald’s hamburger patty has 12g of fat and 9g of protein. Culver’s ButterBurgers do have more calories than a typical burger, but that’s the buttery bun’s fault!

Overall, Culver’s beef gives decent protein with moderate fat for fast food. It’s certainly not the worst burger option out there. But it lacks the elevated nutrition of grass-fed beef.

Why Don’t They Use Grass-Fed Beef?

Several factors explain Culver’s choice of traditional grain-fed beef over healthier grass-fed options:

• Cost – Grass-fed beef can cost 20-50% more than conventional beef. With tight profit margins, fast food chains are sensitive to keeping prices down.

• Supply – Grass-fed beef makes up only a tiny sliver of U.S. beef production. Securing enough supply for 700+ nationwide locations would be a challenge.

• Consistency – Grass-fed beef has more variability in taste and texture. Culver’s likely prioritizes consistency across franchises.

• Durability – Grass-fed beef has a shorter shelf life. For a restaurant cooking patties daily, conventional beef holds up better.

• Familiarity – Americans are acclimated to the mild taste of grain-fed beef. Culver’s caters to expectations rather than preaching change.

So economics, logistics, and customer expectations all factor into Culver’s decision. Their Midwest beef suppliers likely aren’t set up for grass-fed programs currently. But public pressure may shift the supply chain eventually.

Who Does Use Grass-Fed Beef?

While the big fast food players stick with grain-fed, some smaller chains are onboard with grass-fed beef and marketing it proudly, including:

• BurgerFi – Uses 100% grass-fed beef in their burgers and hot dogs

• Elevation Burger – Grass-fed, free-range burgers across all U.S. and international locations

• Shake Shack – Source from grass-fed herds in Australia for certain burgers

• Chipotle – Switched to grass-fed beef raised humanely in Australia

So if you’re craving a fast food burger with the benefits of grass-fed beef, these chains have you covered. Local restaurants or grocers may offer grass-fed burgers too.

Should You Eat Culver’s Burgers?

Culver’s ButterBurgers make no claim to be healthy. But as an occasional indulgence, they beat out many fast food options. Sticking with single patties and pairing with fresh sides provides balance.

Culver’s commitment to fresh, no antibiotic, humanely raised beef is admirable for a major chain. Their burgers have average fat and calories compared to competitors. So enjoying a ButterBurger now and then shouldn’t ruin your diet.

Just don’t expect the nutritional wonders of grass-fed beef. If you want that grass-fed goodness, choose local or organic, or seek out chains using it. Culver’s provides a tasty treat with Midwest values, but their beef production practices still have room for improvement.