Organ meats (aka "offal")may not be fashionable in today’s kitchens, but for centuries they were considered the most prized and nourishing foods. From liver and heart to kidney and tongue, these “forgotten superfoods” are packed with vitamins, minerals, and unique compounds that fuel energy, fertility, and resilience.

In this Wondrous Roots presentation, I explore:

• Why organ meats are nature’s most nutrient-dense foods
• Insights from Dr. Weston A. Price on traditional diets and vitality
• The synergy of eating “nose-to-tail” (muscle meat, organs, bones, and connective tissue)
• How to enjoy organ meats today — from pâté and stews to on-the-go options like liverwurst, jerky sticks, and desiccated supplements
• Global traditions that celebrate offal as everyday nourishment

If you’ve ever wondered whether organ meats are worth eating — or how to make them palatable and practical in modern life — this session will give you the knowledge and confidence to bring them back to your table.

Click above to watch on YouTube, or watch this and previous videos on:

Go here to access the page containing the full PDF presentation and video links: Foods, Beverages, Superfoods | Wondrous Roots

Here is a direct link to the PDF - all of the slides, and there are several links to additional information I refer to. Terrific for yourself or for sharing with someone else - feel free to download and keep in your health files. Click below:

Meat, Organs, Bones and Skin

By Christopher Masterjohn

In my presentation (Becky speaking) I talk about how eating all of the animal provides all of the nutrients necessary for successful DNA methylation. Using supplements, I make sure I am getting active forms of B12, folate, B6, riboflavin, and the other B vitamins; methionine from MSM (organic sulfur) and glycine powder. These are the very nutrients that break down harmful homocysteine, raise wondrous glutathione, overcoming folate-metabolism defects (MTHFR) and other methylation-related genetic problems. Methionine is in the muscle meat; glycine is in the bones and skin; organs provide the B vitamins and iron. It's all there! This article is a brilliant explanation of all of that. In this article the author connects his anxiety disorder to a vegetarian diet and finding healing in eating the meat, organs, bones, and skin.

🫀🥩Offal on the Run🧠👅

Convenient Ways to Enjoy Organ Meats

1. High-Quality Pâtés & Spreads

• Look for glass-jar or tin pâtés made with chicken, duck, or goose liver.
• Many European brands (French, German) are widely available.
• Perfect on crackers, sourdough, or veggie sticks.

2. Liverwurst & Braunschweiger

• Traditional deli sausages made with liver + other organ meats.
• Choose clean brands with minimal fillers and no nitrates.
• Slice for sandwiches, wraps, or with cheese and pickles.

3. Jerky & Snack Sticks (Organ Blends)

• Several companies now make beef sticks containing 10–20% liver or heart.
• Portable, high-protein, and kid-friendly.

4. Desiccated Organ Supplements

• Freeze-dried capsules or powders from grass-fed sources.
• Easy fallback when fresh organ prep isn’t possible.
• Mix powders into smoothies or chili for an invisible boost.

5. Frozen or Canned Options

• Some butchers sell frozen portioned organ meats ready for quick use.
• Canned cod liver (not technically an “offal,” but organ-like) is a classic source of omega-3s and vitamin A/D.

6. Blended Ground Meats

• “Hidden organ” ground beef blends (with 15–20% liver, heart, kidney) are increasingly available.
• Cook into tacos, meatballs, or burgers without extra effort.

Pâtés & Liverwurst

• US Wellness Meats – Offers liverwurst, braunschweiger, and head cheese from grass-fed beef.
• Alexian – A gourmet pâté company (duck, chicken, pork livers) often found in natural grocery stores.
• Les Trois Petits Cochons (Three Little Pigs) – French-style pâtés, rillettes, and mousses, widely available in specialty shops.

Snack Sticks & Jerky

• EPIC Provisions – Beef + liver bars/sticks, portable and clean ingredients.
• Wild Zora – Paleo-friendly bars with grass-fed organ blends.

Desiccated Organ Supplements

• Ancestral Supplements – Freeze-dried organ capsules (liver, heart, kidney, spleen, etc.) from grass-fed cattle.
• Heart & Soil – Organ supplement line created by Dr. Paul Saladino, focused on “nose-to-tail” blends.

Other Handy Sources

• Vital Proteins / Perfect Supplements – Grass-fed beef liver capsules.
• Nordic Naturals / Carlson – Canned cod liver (for those who want fish organ benefits).

🐂 Offal Trivia

• The word offal comes from “off fall” — the parts that fell from the butcher’s block.
• Sweetbreads are neither sweet nor bread, but the thymus or pancreas of young animals.
• In Victorian England, tripe was so popular that London alone had hundreds of tripe shops.
• Authentic Scottish haggis uses sheep’s lungs, but lungs are banned from commercial sale in the U.S.
• In Mexico, beef tongue (lengua) is such a staple that you’ll find it at taco stands everywhere.
• The spleen, eaten in parts of the Middle East and Italy, was nicknamed the “poor man’s steak.”

🐑 Offal Humor & Puns

• “Offal doesn’t have to be awful — it can be awfully good!”
• “The offal truth? These foods are nature’s hidden superstars.”
• “Don’t turn up your nose… unless it’s on the menu!”
• “Sweetbreads prove it: sometimes branding matters more than biology.”
• “From awful to wonderful — that’s the journey of offal.”

• Myth: The liver stores toxins.
• Truth: The liver processes toxins so the body can eliminate them — what it stores are vitamins, minerals, and glycogen.

• Myth: Organ meats are unsafe because they’re “dirty.”
• Truth: When sourced well, organ meats are among the cleanest, most nutrient-dense foods available.

• Myth: Muscle meat alone provides all you need.
• Truth: Organs, bones, and connective tissue provide the vitamins, minerals, collagen, and balancing amino acids muscle meat lacks.