Wild game certainly isn’t new, but it’s getting more attention these days. Bison meat is the standout, with fans in the Paleo community extolling its virtues.

We’ll cut right to the chase: There’s a lot to like nutritionally (and culinarily) about bison meat.

But you’re not giving this meat a fair shake if you cook it without doing a little homework.

Although you can swap it for beef in recipes, there are several tricks to cooking it just right.

Here’s what you need to know about bison meat’s nutritional profile, how to cook this lean meat, and how it stacks up against beef.

Bison Meat Nutrition and Benefits

Bison meat has a similar nutritional profile to lean ground beef. Per 3 ounces cooked ground bison meat, you’ll get:

Calories: 152
Protein: 22 g
Fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Carbs: 0 g
Fiber: 0 g

How to Cook Bison Meat

You can buy ground bison or bison steaks. No matter which format you choose, “bison needs a lower temperature and a longer cook time, says Jim White, R.D., ACSM EX-P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia.

It’s best to keep it medium-rare, especially for the tender cuts. “Overcooking bison will result in tough meat and gamey flavor,” White warns.

If you’re working with a bison steak:

1. Let the meat rest at room temperature for no more than an hour before cooking, to take the chill off.
2. Marinate your steak or season with spices.
3. Grill it slow and at a low temperature.
4. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
5. Remove the bison meat from the grill and place in a pan covered in foil.
6. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing or serving.

White advises only turning the meat once to retain more juices and reduce the chance of overcooking.

Ground bison has the same challenge — you want to cook it so it doesn’t dry out and taste too gamey. To do that, you should:

1. Bring the meat to room temperature (no more than an hour before cooking).
2. Brush the pan with oil since lean meats can stick.
3. Use medium heat to sauté the bison.
4. Cook until the meat’s internal temperature is 160 degrees F.

You should ideally finish cooking the ground bison 5-10 minutes before serving to keep it juicy. Expect ground bison meat to cook in about 2/3 the time of ground beef.

Bison Meat vs. Beef

If you’re used to buying 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef, switching to bison will cut calories, fat, and cholesterol.

Since bison meat can be used in the same recipes as ground beef (similar to ground turkey), it’s also an easy substitute that doesn’t make it feel like you’re sacrificing the meals you love — like bacon cheeseburger meatloaf.

Bison also offers more selenium, a mineral that’s essential for healthy metabolic and immune function.

Bison meat is also harder to raise than beef, which means two main things for you, the consumer.

First, “it’s not generally available at most grocery stores,” explains Emily Tills, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N.

Second, you’ll pay more for it.

“A butcher may be able to provide this meat, but the cost may be higher due to the farming involved in bison meat and low amount of bison farms,” she adds.

You can also find it at gourmet supermarkets or health food stores.

White points out that “a pound of ground bison can range from $12-$18 while ground beef is about $4-$5 per pound.”

And the low-fat content of bison can be a double-edged sword.

Tills points out that lean ground beef (95/5 ground, 96/4 ground, or tenderloin) also offers just about the same nutritional profile for far less money.

Bison’s edge over beef may also be diminishing. It used to be the case, as White points out, that bison were “handled very little by humans,” but this is changing.

Bison used to graze, meaning the meat was 100% grass-fed. In beef, grass-fed has more antioxidant-like compounds and omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed.

“Bison also has a high ratio of healthy omega-3 fatty acids due to its grass-fed diet,” White adds. But this is changing now that companies are raising bison on grain feed.

If you want to try bison meat, make sure you’re looking for 100% grass-fed to reap the full nutritional rewards.

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Whether you’re adding more meatless meals to your weekly rotation or considering going vegan or vegetarian, plant-based eating is super popular right now.

But what are your options when it comes to meat substitutes?

There are many great vegetarian protein sources out there these days that giving up meat (for a meal or a lifetime) is easier than it used to be.

Online and at grocery stores, your options for buying meat substitutes are more plentiful than ever before, from next-gen fake beef to staples people have been eating since ancient times, like eggs and beans.

(Fun fact: According to archaeologists, Roman gladiators were likely vegetarian.)

Here are five types of popular meat substitutes you can weave into your weekly meal plans.

While the brand names may vary at your local supermarket, most of the products you’ll spy in the meat substitutes section (usually near the produce section) will fall into one of these categories.

1. Legumes and Beans

“I highly recommend legumes as the best meat alternative,” says Jill Nussinow, M.S., R.D.N. That’s because they’re the least processed option, she says.

You can swap black beans for ground taco meat, lentils for sausage in soup, or white beans for chicken in your favorite casserole.

You can also easily make your own vegetable-based burgers from lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, soybeans, and more.

2. Tofu, Tempeh, and Other Soy Products

Soy-based foods are a common base for meat alternatives, since they are a complete protein.

Similar to the way you make cheese, tofu starts with soy milk turned into curds and comes in varying textures, from soft to firm.

Think of it like a clean slate, ready to take on the flavor of any spice, sauce, or seasoning.

Tempeh is made from fermented, cooked soybeans and has a firm texture and nutty flavor.

One great way to use tempeh is as a swap for ground meat in chili. It’s also wonderful marinated, sliced, and baked, in place of deli meats and as a bacon substitute.

3. Seitan and “Wheat Meat”

Seitan is a meat substitute made from wheat gluten, which provides the protein in wheat.

It has a similar texture and color to cooked meat and is a popular base for meat substitutes for bacon and deli slices.

Some of these products might contain more salt or oils than you want to consume, so read the labels.

“When you are looking at faux meat products, look for those that are lower in saturated fat and sodium,” says Sharon Palmer, M.S.F.S., R.D.N.

Upton’s Naturals is a cult fave for hot dogs, bacon, and sausages made with seitan, but check your local market for a variety of brands.

No Evil Foods is another brand of “wheat meat” that’s gaining fans for their tasty “chicken” and “chorizo” meat substitutes.

4. Pea and Soy Protein “Meat Substitutes”

“There are new vegan meat substitutes made from pea protein, soy isolate, and combination proteins,” says Nussinow.

Some are also made from soy protein concentrates.

These products replace everything from gyro strips to chicken nuggets in a convincing way.

While they are more processed than tofu, tempeh, or seitan (and can be high in sodium), they are tasty ways to satisfy a craving without meat on occasion.

“For some meat-eaters, the more processed meat substitutes help them include more plant-based foods,” says Nussinow. “My husband, a former meat-eater, likes Boca burgers.”

5. High-tech “Burgers” and “Ground Meat”

Both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat sell “raw” plant-based meats that look like uncooked ground beef.

Beyond Meat also sells sausages; they taste so much like the “real deal” though that opinions tend to be mixed.

“Some people like the new modern faux meats that ‘bleed’ and look and taste like real meat,” says Palmer. “Others don’t like the taste of meat and prefer beans, peas, and grains.”

The Impossible Burger is touted as tasting just like real beef, due to heme — which is what makes meat taste like meat — extracted from soybeans.

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