What exactly is, "grass fed beef"?

If meat is part of your diet you've probably heard the term "grass-fed beef." But what does that mean exactly?

What are the benefits? And does it cost more?

When Helen Driscoll shops for beef she looks for this label on the package or requests it from the butcher.

But what exactly does grass fed mean?

Nutrition specialist, Jonny Bowden said, "Grass-fed means 100% grass fed from the time it was born to the time that it meets a humane death."

However, the USDA tells us there is "no official regulatory definition or federal standard for grass fed."

but the agency does regulate the labeling of the term.

For a company to claim, "grass fed or 100 percent grass-fed, "the animals...could not have been fed grain or grain byproducts and must have had continuous access to pasture during the growing season."

Bowden said, "Consumers should care very much about whether or not their beef is grass fed or not because grass-fed beef is, if you'll excuse the pun, an entirely different animal from factory farmed beef."

Some studies say grass-fed beef is healthier than grain fed.

But keep in mind "grass-fed" is a different claim than "raised without antibiotics or steroids" and grass-fed does not mean organic.

There are some private certifications you can look for on beef, like "the American Grassfed Association", which experts tell us has stricter standards.

And grass-fed meat may cost you a bit more.

"Grass-fed meat is more expensive than factory farming. That's just a fact of life. It takes a lot longer to raise an animal," said Bowden.

Helen says if she cannot find "grass-fed" beef in a store or restaurant, she skips meat altogether.

"For that meal I'm, I'm a vegan. It's going to be all vegetables."