I try to stay away from red meat, but I love buffalo. Is it better for you than beef?

If you need a red-meat fix, the sweet meat of the bison, or American buffalo, might be just the ticket. Ounce for ounce, the meat is more nutrient-dense than feedlot-raised beef, with less fat and more antioxidants.

"A buffalo steak may have 100 fewer calories than a steak from a grain-fed steer," says Dr. Kevin Weiland, author of The Dakota Diet. "You could lose 10 pounds a year just by switching your main source of meat to grass-fed buffalo."

Iron-rich bison meat contains more vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, potent disease-fighters. The animals also are raised in a different way from feedlot cattle.

"Growth hormones, antibiotics or animal byproducts are not given to bison," according to the Western Bison Association. "Producers raise them as naturally as possible because they thrive best when not handled more than necessary. Many of the techniques to push cattle production simply do not work for buffalo."

These days, it's easy to find ground buffalo at the store. Because it's lower in fat, bison meat should be cooked at a lower temperature in a nonstick pan, with care taken not to overcook it.

Here's a buffalo recipe by chef Jill Maguire of Wild Idea Buffalo Co. in Rapid City, S.D., from The Dakota Diet by Dr. Kevin Weiland.

Buffalo Burgers

Serves 6

2 pounds ground buffalo

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon ketchup

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt and pepper

Garlic pepper to taste

• Mix all ingredients together except the buffalo meat.

• Pour the mixture on the buffalo and mix thoroughly with hands.

• Form into six patties, and return to the refrigerator to allow the burgers to firm up.

• Spray each patty with olive oil spray and season with garlic pepper.

• Grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Sprinkle with high-quality salt before serving.

Nutritional information per serving: 191 cal., 7 g fat (1 g sat.), 0 mg chol., 1 g carb., 863 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 32 g pro.

E-mail your nutrition questions to ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com.