Grass-fed beef: Cardinals OL Jared Veldheer talks nutrition, weight-gain

If you’ve hit a local Phoenix farmers market and haven’t found many options when it comes to cuts of meats, focus your blame on Arizona Cardinals tackle Jared Veldheer.

However, don’t be too hard on him if you’re rooting for his success this upcoming season.

The Cardinals starting left tackle has made a point to pack on additional pounds after a health-kick in the last few years brought his weight down to just more than 300 pounds. Veldheer told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Burns and Gambo he’s back in the 325-330 range that serves him best.

“I gained about 20 pounds and I did it because that’s what I weighed two years ago. Two offseasons ago, I started eating pretty clean, watching what I was eating and wanting to be healthy … My weight kind of went down, slowly,” Veldheer said.

He’s regained that weight — healthily, by the way — by visiting quite a few farmers markets.

“I’m the guy bringing the Yeti cooler and filling it up with about 30 pounds of steak and pork,” Veldheer said. “I apologize if the rib-eyes are sold out.”

And Veldheer knows what he’s talking about when it comes to healthy eating. Just listen to him recite his knowledge of Omega-3 versus Omega-6 fatty acids in grass-fed beef.

The offensive lineman said he liked feeling “a little more stout” a few seasons back. He’s back at his preferred weight heading into 2016, and he added that it’s also the best he’s felt from a physical standpoint.

So how does Veldheer prepare all those steaks in order to pack on the pounds?

“I got a big Green Egg (grill) this offseason, I’m really digging that,” he said. “Got into the Sois Vide …. You put it in a vacuum-sealed bag and cook it in a water-bath, you take it out and sear it on the grill. If you want your steak absolutely perfect medium rare, that’s the way to go.”

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