You might be surprised to learn, then, that goat is so much better than beef.
It is far less commonly consumed here in the U.S. and in the west in general, but in fact around 70% of the world’s population regularly eats goat meat.
There is some nuance to the question, though we do have a clear answer—so let’s look further into it.
Is goat meat healthier than beef?
The simple answer is yes, it is.
There are many ways we can judge how healthy a meat is, and goat meat seems to come out on top by most metrics.
For one thing, goat has higher levels of iron than beef.
Iron is an essential mineral and can be hard to get into your diet in good quantities—goat meat is better than beef for this.
Goat meat also has less fat and saturated fat than beef does.
This means that you can eat similar amounts of goat, without the amount of fat that you would get from beef.
While fats are necessary to your diet in the right quantities, it can certainly be harder to regulate with beef.
Goat meat also has similar levels of protein as beef, meaning you aren’t sacrificing any of the protein on the healthier option.
Beef is not unhealthy, then, but goat meat gives you higher amounts of the things you want with lower amounts of the things you don’t.
The thing that might put you off goat meat, though, is fear that the taste is not as good.
Does goat taste like beef?
Loosely, yes. Goat meat is distinctly different, though, from beef.
It is closer to something like venison, since goats, like deer, are ruminants.
It is gamey, and has a tender, sweet and soft taste and texture.
That said, it is very similar to beef in a lot of ways.
It really depends on how it’s prepared, though.
A goat meat steak is going to be much closer to venison, but a goat meat stew will taste a lot more like beef.
Generally speaking, goat meat is a lot sweeter than beef.
So, goat meat does and does not taste like beef.
If you are looking for a beef replacement that tastes like beef, then goat meat will meet this if you prepare it in the right way.
Another important question is which one is easier to digest.
Is goat easier to digest than beef?
Again, in general, depending on how it’s prepared, goat meat is much easier to digest than beef.
Mainly, though, this comes down to the quantities you need to eat.
As I’ve made clear, goat meat is more nutritionally rich.
This means you can eat less of it for the same amount of nutrition.
So, on that level, you’ll have an easier time digesting goat meat than beef.
Beyond that, though, goat meat being much lower in fat and saturated fat does mean that it is basically easier to digest.
Your body spends less energy breaking it down, and so you’ll feel much better after eating the same quantity of goat as beef.
Ultimately, though, the most important thing is how it’s prepared and the quality of the meat.
A fantastic quality piece of beef is obviously going to taste better than a comparable amount of goat meat.
But with comparable qualities of both, goat will be easier to digest.
Can I eat goat meat every day?
As much as I have argued here that goat is the superior meat, ultimately, balance is still always going to be the most important thing.
You really shouldn’t eat any kind of meat every day, and you shouldn’t even necessarily eat meat every day.
Balance is the most important thing in your diet, and as healthy as goat is, its nutritional profile means you only need to eat a relatively small amount to get all the benefit.
Eating goat once or twice a week is probably best, perhaps two or three times at most.
Swap it out with other kinds of meat in the rest of the week and try to go a couple of days a week without any meat at all.
This is best for balance.
So, though we don’t wish to say that beef is any way unhealthy when consumed as part of a balanced diet, the fact is that by any quantifiable metric, goat meat is clearly healthier.
It is lower in calories and higher in many of the beneficial nutrients, meaning you can eat less of it for the same amount of nutrition.
It’s always important that you factor it in as part of a balanced diet, but if you do so, it can be much better than beef!