Game meat is hot right now, and the arrival of fall 2016 means that you’ll likely see more venison, boar, pheasant, rabbit and duck on menus than ever before.

Across the pond, young Brits have fallen so hard for the “other red meat” that they are eating venison faster than Scotland can produce it. There’s no doubt about it: game meat is officially a thing.

In Toronto, Michael Hunter’s Antler Kitchen +Bar  is packing them in with a menu of venison burgers and wild boar gyoza.  Our Editor in Chief, Jacob Richler is currently at work on a book that tracks his experiences as a new hunter, including his take on new and classic wild game recipes.

Why the sudden surge in interest in game meat?  We think it’s the health angle: venison is lower in fat than a skinned chicken breast. Ditto for other game meat.  If veering off your meat/chicken/fish path is alarming to you, don’t equate eating game with hunting.   All of the game meat on Canadian menus is farmed – only Newfoundland allows their chefs to cook wild game.  If you still feel a little queasy a look at the morality behind factory farming should help.

Here are 5 reasons to take a walk on the wild side:

It’s good for you.  Venison is low in fat, high in protein, stacked with vitamins and has more iron than any other red meat.

You can ditch those stinky fish oil supplements.  Game meat like venison is one of the healthiest sources of good fat because of its optimal Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids ratio. Plus it doesn’t affect our oceans.

Heart health.  Beef has over three times more cholesterol than venison.

Protein Powered. Rabbit has more protein than chicken, fish, lamb, pork and beef.  Plus it’s real – unlike protein powder.

Newness.   Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Game has a wonderfully rich flavour that’s unlike any other.