Health: Bison - A Healthy Alternative To Beef?

By Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Restaurants around the country are now serving up bison meat as a healthy alternative to beef. They say people are eating it up.

According to restaurant owners, there's been a big increase in demand for bison meat over the last few years.

Want a juicy burger that doesn't leave you feeling guilty? Bison is the new other red meat.

"They love the flavor," said Chris Cantwell of Joe Montana's Grill. "They're always surprised by the flavor. Bison is not gamey at all, it tends to be a little bit sweeter than beef, and I think consumers really enjoy that."

"The flavor is really pretty amazing," said Janice Schmidt, a bison lover.

Reports by the USDA, say bison is lower in calories and fat than beef and higher in protein and iron.

"Consumers are looking for healthy alternatives to become healthier," said Jim White, a Dietitian. "As long as there's going to be these options, I feel more Americans are going to put their money where their health is."

Unlike many meat products on the market, bison is free range and grass fed. It is also free of growth hormones or antibiotics.

"Today you can go into restaurants and you can find short ribs," said Dave Carter, of the National Bison Association. "There's fajitas being made with bison, there's great flank steak, brisket, even ossobuco, which is made from shank."

However, bison is more expensive than beef, twice the price, and roughly $13 a pound.

"It's so much healthier, that offsets the price," Janice said.

A three ounce bison patty has 152 calories and seven grams of fat. That's less than a lean beef burger and even a turkey burger. Sales of bison meat topped $240 million, last year.