Humans have acquired a taste for meat. Yet, we truly do not need to eat the flesh of our animal friends to be healthy. We could do with less; and perhaps none at all.
Our family has had to reduce meat consumption post-covid, due to inflation. We simply cannot afford it. We now eat a lot of Mexican inspired meals in which legumes take centre stage. The boys love it, and everyone's health and well-being have considerably improved.
I eat far less meat than I used to. Also not much fish because the waters are over fished and it is a major problem where I live. Mind you I love both, but as I have gotten older I feel better not eating them as often or eating much smaller portions. Some humans have of course eaten meat and fish since the hunter - gather era so it is in our DNA.
Of course locally sourced food is always the best, but also much more costly. Factory farming of anything changes it. Yet, we are a planet so over populated and people need to eat.
Great article. Not had too much a problem giving up meat generally because my digestion improved; as well as the agri-meat business is disgusting on several levels. Not sure about fish at the moment, though logically polluted seas and the agri-fish business should be enough to put you off. In some cultures though, meat is the only/main food. The West does have options.
Many people say their digestion improved after giving up meat. It might be that while humans can eat meat it is not easy to digest. I too feel better when I do not eat any meat or fish. I saw a documentary on the fish industry, and there are many problems associated with fish farms as there are with ocean-caught fish, including bottom trawling, microplastics and toxins and parasites.
I'm a pescatarian, I've not eaten meat (other than fish) since I was in my early twenties. I limit how much dairy products and eggs I eat, and I'm reducing the amount of fish I eat and don't eat salmon (due to issues around salmon farming). I couldn't imagine ever eating meat again, though I am interested in the arguments of the regenerative farming movement where animals are farmed in eco-friendly ways where quality of life for the livestock is prioritised.
I am vegan for the animals 💚. Most people would turn vegan if they knew what truly goes on. I turned vegan after taking photos at slaughterhouse protests and other animal activist events.
I agree ... and you wouldn't eat supermarket fruit & veg either if you "knew what truly goes on". That leaves growing your own, and/or buying from organic growers you know and trust. The future is agrarian -- and there'splenty of land to go round for 8 billion people, truth be told. But in the U.K 1% own 50%+ of the land; in Scotland 1% own about 90%.
I think that's so true! We are so removed from the horrors that happen there and it's so normal to want to avoid seeing that cruelty... but that avoidance is what keeps the system going.
At one point, I came across a description of how a pig was treated (= tortured) in a slaughterhouse. After reading it, I quit animal products altogether. I was already a vegetarian at the time, and had at one point considered veganism. Reading that description was the final push I needed.
I really enjoyed this piece of yours. I’ve always struggled ethically with meat consumption. I remember as a child I enjoyed eating calamari, but then I saw a picture of a squid in the wild and I refused to eat it after that because I thought squid were so adorable. The same thing happened with shrimp. (Apparently I didn’t think that cows, pigs, and chickens were as cute as snails, squid, and shrimp when I was little lol) I gave up meat last year and honestly I don’t miss it at all. I have some digestive conditions, so avoiding meat is actually easier on my stomach so an added bonus. I think if you eat meat in sane amounts from ethical sources that’s not terrible though. The popularity of the carnivore diet deeply disturbs me however
One of my first posts was on the consumption of meat. What's really on our grocery shelves?
"The scale of humanity’s meat consumption is enormous. 360 million tonnes of meat every year"
How many animals are slaughtered each year the most recent number is
92 billion.
That is unfathomable to me. And that is what I wrote about. In order to make that happen well, it's ghastly, I mean there is no word, for what occurs to make this amount possible. If people understood HOW it's happening, I am sure some would have heart attacks. Gruesome is putting it mild.
Thanks for addressing this.
And yes, I know plants suffer too, there is no easy out, for what happens here on planet Earth, another big question of mine, that I address in my posts; An infinite and benevolent Creator, who would have us killing and devouring each other to live. Makes no sense.
Eating meat is an ingrained and longstanding human habit; there are so many clear benefits to not eating meat, for ourselves, for the health of the animals, and for our Earth. This is an individual decision that each of us needs to make. We can do our part to raise awareness, which is an important and necessary step to changing habits.
I became a vegetarian around 21 years ago, in my early 20s. Giving up not dairy was the hardest but just as important as giving up meat. The suffering cows go through is unconscionable. Anyone who has ever known a breastfeeding mother who has suffered mastitis (an infection of the breast caused by clogged milk ducts) has but a gentle window into the perpetual pain endure by mother cows when they have their milk siphoned off for human consumption. I finally achieved veganism about 13 years ago. I can say that my digestive system immediately think to me when I stopped eating meat. This is partly due to the fact I stopped eating so much fast food and greasy meats. (Ribs are my favorite food at the time.) I instantly lost weight when I gave up dairy altogether. And once again my digestive system thanked me. Just over a year ago I finally embraced T Colin Campbell's (of The China Study fame, also nutritionist scholar at Cornel) Plant Based Whole Foods diet, specifically replacing enriched wheat with whole grains (rice, pasta, breads, etc.), and my digestive system once again thank me. I also instantly lost weight. What is too often unrealized is that our society suffers from a severe shortage of fiber and not protein. Because our foods are depleted of moisture (think chips instead of bread or raisins instead of grapes) and fiber, our stomach receptors tell us that we are still hungry after our caloric needs have been met. So we continue to eat more and more foods. The whole foods plant-based diet is what is needed for our own well-being and the well-being of the earth. And these two needs are intimately intertelling
Thanks for bringing up the fibre thing, Jeffrey! It baffles me how many people talk about "needing protein" when most people in the US (and probably elsewhere) get more protein than they need. And I so agree, diary is cruel. It's perhaps even more cruel than meat (after all, it includes separating calves from their mothers).
I find that ethically examining our diet opens us to many insights about being a moral being, our relationship to the world, and the importance embracing humility. It's just so easy to perpetuate cruelty. One is left wondering what else we have overlooked and are now possibly getting wrong.
This is such a powerful message, Perry. Thank you🙏. I do agree with you. A few years ago, I watched a documentary called "Earthlings", about the American meat industry. It shocked and disturbed me to my very core, that I gave up meat for a whole year. Like you say, it made me feel good morally and spiritually, with no adverse effects physically. I only began eating red meat when I got pregnant and was severely anaemic. Now, like you say, it's just a habit, and my husband loves his red meat.
What grieves me most is the suffering we are collectively inflicting on our animal friends. Is there a more humane way to do this? I knowI if I had to kill an animal for food myself, I would most definitely be vegetarian.
I could never kill an animal. I also know that the whole animal agricultural industry is cruel beyond measure. I watched Earthlings many years ago. Horrific. Now, I am allowing my conscience to over-ride my habits. This is the right thing to do. Thank you for your response.
Many many cheers for this important, humble, and integrity affirming piece. Thank you for highlighting Tolstoy's quote and for noting Singer's reminder that ethical conduct is not only about "changing the world" but about exemplifying our own fullest human potential, excellence in a word.
Yes, we who act within our convictions and in response to our conscience show an example of what is possible among humans. Tolstoy and I.B. Singer undoutedly are inspirational in this way. Thanks, Jeffrey, for your response.
It's definitely possible to eat less meat. I've done that in the past year, only eating it at most once a month. However, it's not completely easy. I'm a fairly active person with a very large appetite and I crave protein. I still drink milk and eat eggs.
Since I stopped eating meat regularly, I have to supplement my diet with protein shakes. Yes, it's possible to get more vegetable protein but it's a lot harder and it involves a lot more cooking. So once and a while I still eat chicken.
Yes, it involves more work on our part, but I think we can learn new eating habits, including on how to get the protein that our bodies need. I do not view animal protein as necessary.
Perry, I have been plant-based for more than 35 years. I phased out eating cows after eating "steak" with family and friends and I was the only one that got violently ill at 13- that was my signal to not eat cows any more. As a sickly kid, and an animal lover, I never wanted to eat animals- our families mean well but carry on the messages of our foods...
Glad your work is getting likes and comments. Thanks for supporting my work - I am honored that you like my work enough to support it and help share the messages, too!
Yes, my conscience and convictions tell me what I need to do. That you have been plant-based for 35 years has likely benefited you and your health and that of our Earth. I support people who I think and feel are doing the work that needs to get done, which includes your work.
Thank you, Perry, I appreciate your support. And, kudos to you! I lost a few subscribers after my Want Health? essay. Perhaps the facts are difficult for some people.
appriciaate your getting back to me. I think your commitment is a laudable one. Wish I could do the same. Guilt makes me eat more mediteranian food less meat cause I do love my pasta and breads
yes all life is precious but I do like my lamb chops. Should we stop buying flowers. Stop eating grains. Is mammalian life any more precious than the life of a plant that keeps us all feed. There is a ballance.
We all have to make choices on how to live, which includes on what we consume. You are right about balance. This is my choice, based on my long-held convictions. You might not agree. Thank you for your comment, Jazzme.
Thank you Perry. I rarely eat meat anymore but when I do it is pasture raised and organic. I live on the ocean so I do eat fish--is that any better, I don't know. But I'm one that also believes plants are sentient beings 😁 I think if people were shown what commercial livestock and poultry go through and how they live, many more would be eating less meat. As James mentioned, those scenes are "haunting" or downright horrid. My parents are in the 90s and believe that commercial animals are still eating grass in fields... they "don't want to know about it" when I have brought it up over the years.
Our family has had to reduce meat consumption post-covid, due to inflation. We simply cannot afford it. We now eat a lot of Mexican inspired meals in which legumes take centre stage. The boys love it, and everyone's health and well-being have considerably improved.
This is another reason to eat less meat, and as a result health and well-being improves. I take this as a blessing in disguise.
I eat far less meat than I used to. Also not much fish because the waters are over fished and it is a major problem where I live. Mind you I love both, but as I have gotten older I feel better not eating them as often or eating much smaller portions. Some humans have of course eaten meat and fish since the hunter - gather era so it is in our DNA.
Eating less meat and fish is healthier all around..Thanks for your comment, Pamela.
Of course locally sourced food is always the best, but also much more costly. Factory farming of anything changes it. Yet, we are a planet so over populated and people need to eat.
Great article. Not had too much a problem giving up meat generally because my digestion improved; as well as the agri-meat business is disgusting on several levels. Not sure about fish at the moment, though logically polluted seas and the agri-fish business should be enough to put you off. In some cultures though, meat is the only/main food. The West does have options.
Many people say their digestion improved after giving up meat. It might be that while humans can eat meat it is not easy to digest. I too feel better when I do not eat any meat or fish. I saw a documentary on the fish industry, and there are many problems associated with fish farms as there are with ocean-caught fish, including bottom trawling, microplastics and toxins and parasites.
Yes, the fish industry is no better than the meat industry - and both are big polluters with the costs dumped on the common people/environment.
I'm a pescatarian, I've not eaten meat (other than fish) since I was in my early twenties. I limit how much dairy products and eggs I eat, and I'm reducing the amount of fish I eat and don't eat salmon (due to issues around salmon farming). I couldn't imagine ever eating meat again, though I am interested in the arguments of the regenerative farming movement where animals are farmed in eco-friendly ways where quality of life for the livestock is prioritised.
So inspiring that so many people commenting here have given up.eating meat long ago and are better for it. Thanks Juliet for sharing your story.
I am vegan for the animals 💚. Most people would turn vegan if they knew what truly goes on. I turned vegan after taking photos at slaughterhouse protests and other animal activist events.
I agree ... and you wouldn't eat supermarket fruit & veg either if you "knew what truly goes on". That leaves growing your own, and/or buying from organic growers you know and trust. The future is agrarian -- and there'splenty of land to go round for 8 billion people, truth be told. But in the U.K 1% own 50%+ of the land; in Scotland 1% own about 90%.
I agree; the future is agrarian and I am starting off small with a few plants in my small urban garden.
As much as I can, I do buy local and I do grow some of my own veggies. I am very anti-grocery store.
Thanks for your comment. I sense that you are right. So, raising awareness of how cruel industrial animal farming is becomes paramount.
I think that's so true! We are so removed from the horrors that happen there and it's so normal to want to avoid seeing that cruelty... but that avoidance is what keeps the system going.
At one point, I came across a description of how a pig was treated (= tortured) in a slaughterhouse. After reading it, I quit animal products altogether. I was already a vegetarian at the time, and had at one point considered veganism. Reading that description was the final push I needed.
Yes, sometimes this is all that we need to give us the final confirmation that we are making the right decision. Thank you for your comment, Louise.
Thank you for writing this, Perry!
Absolutely!
I really enjoyed this piece of yours. I’ve always struggled ethically with meat consumption. I remember as a child I enjoyed eating calamari, but then I saw a picture of a squid in the wild and I refused to eat it after that because I thought squid were so adorable. The same thing happened with shrimp. (Apparently I didn’t think that cows, pigs, and chickens were as cute as snails, squid, and shrimp when I was little lol) I gave up meat last year and honestly I don’t miss it at all. I have some digestive conditions, so avoiding meat is actually easier on my stomach so an added bonus. I think if you eat meat in sane amounts from ethical sources that’s not terrible though. The popularity of the carnivore diet deeply disturbs me however
As it does me, but then again, I could only decide what’s right for me, which is what each of us can do. Thanks for your response; I appreciate it.
One of my first posts was on the consumption of meat. What's really on our grocery shelves?
"The scale of humanity’s meat consumption is enormous. 360 million tonnes of meat every year"
How many animals are slaughtered each year the most recent number is
92 billion.
That is unfathomable to me. And that is what I wrote about. In order to make that happen well, it's ghastly, I mean there is no word, for what occurs to make this amount possible. If people understood HOW it's happening, I am sure some would have heart attacks. Gruesome is putting it mild.
Thanks for addressing this.
And yes, I know plants suffer too, there is no easy out, for what happens here on planet Earth, another big question of mine, that I address in my posts; An infinite and benevolent Creator, who would have us killing and devouring each other to live. Makes no sense.
Eating meat is an ingrained and longstanding human habit; there are so many clear benefits to not eating meat, for ourselves, for the health of the animals, and for our Earth. This is an individual decision that each of us needs to make. We can do our part to raise awareness, which is an important and necessary step to changing habits.
I became a vegetarian around 21 years ago, in my early 20s. Giving up not dairy was the hardest but just as important as giving up meat. The suffering cows go through is unconscionable. Anyone who has ever known a breastfeeding mother who has suffered mastitis (an infection of the breast caused by clogged milk ducts) has but a gentle window into the perpetual pain endure by mother cows when they have their milk siphoned off for human consumption. I finally achieved veganism about 13 years ago. I can say that my digestive system immediately think to me when I stopped eating meat. This is partly due to the fact I stopped eating so much fast food and greasy meats. (Ribs are my favorite food at the time.) I instantly lost weight when I gave up dairy altogether. And once again my digestive system thanked me. Just over a year ago I finally embraced T Colin Campbell's (of The China Study fame, also nutritionist scholar at Cornel) Plant Based Whole Foods diet, specifically replacing enriched wheat with whole grains (rice, pasta, breads, etc.), and my digestive system once again thank me. I also instantly lost weight. What is too often unrealized is that our society suffers from a severe shortage of fiber and not protein. Because our foods are depleted of moisture (think chips instead of bread or raisins instead of grapes) and fiber, our stomach receptors tell us that we are still hungry after our caloric needs have been met. So we continue to eat more and more foods. The whole foods plant-based diet is what is needed for our own well-being and the well-being of the earth. And these two needs are intimately intertelling
Thanks for bringing up the fibre thing, Jeffrey! It baffles me how many people talk about "needing protein" when most people in the US (and probably elsewhere) get more protein than they need. And I so agree, diary is cruel. It's perhaps even more cruel than meat (after all, it includes separating calves from their mothers).
I find that ethically examining our diet opens us to many insights about being a moral being, our relationship to the world, and the importance embracing humility. It's just so easy to perpetuate cruelty. One is left wondering what else we have overlooked and are now possibly getting wrong.
I so agree!
*intimately intertwined
Great article, Perry, and the only prompt I need this morning to head down to the big local farmer’s market.:)
Thank you, Heidi. I love farmer’s markets. Enjoy.🕊🦜
Thank you, Perry. Your article speaks to the importance of understanding where our food comes from. I like supporting the local farming community.
This is such a powerful message, Perry. Thank you🙏. I do agree with you. A few years ago, I watched a documentary called "Earthlings", about the American meat industry. It shocked and disturbed me to my very core, that I gave up meat for a whole year. Like you say, it made me feel good morally and spiritually, with no adverse effects physically. I only began eating red meat when I got pregnant and was severely anaemic. Now, like you say, it's just a habit, and my husband loves his red meat.
What grieves me most is the suffering we are collectively inflicting on our animal friends. Is there a more humane way to do this? I knowI if I had to kill an animal for food myself, I would most definitely be vegetarian.
I could never kill an animal. I also know that the whole animal agricultural industry is cruel beyond measure. I watched Earthlings many years ago. Horrific. Now, I am allowing my conscience to over-ride my habits. This is the right thing to do. Thank you for your response.
Many many cheers for this important, humble, and integrity affirming piece. Thank you for highlighting Tolstoy's quote and for noting Singer's reminder that ethical conduct is not only about "changing the world" but about exemplifying our own fullest human potential, excellence in a word.
Yes, we who act within our convictions and in response to our conscience show an example of what is possible among humans. Tolstoy and I.B. Singer undoutedly are inspirational in this way. Thanks, Jeffrey, for your response.
It's definitely possible to eat less meat. I've done that in the past year, only eating it at most once a month. However, it's not completely easy. I'm a fairly active person with a very large appetite and I crave protein. I still drink milk and eat eggs.
Since I stopped eating meat regularly, I have to supplement my diet with protein shakes. Yes, it's possible to get more vegetable protein but it's a lot harder and it involves a lot more cooking. So once and a while I still eat chicken.
Yes, it involves more work on our part, but I think we can learn new eating habits, including on how to get the protein that our bodies need. I do not view animal protein as necessary.
Perry, I have been plant-based for more than 35 years. I phased out eating cows after eating "steak" with family and friends and I was the only one that got violently ill at 13- that was my signal to not eat cows any more. As a sickly kid, and an animal lover, I never wanted to eat animals- our families mean well but carry on the messages of our foods...
Glad your work is getting likes and comments. Thanks for supporting my work - I am honored that you like my work enough to support it and help share the messages, too!
Yes, my conscience and convictions tell me what I need to do. That you have been plant-based for 35 years has likely benefited you and your health and that of our Earth. I support people who I think and feel are doing the work that needs to get done, which includes your work.
Thank you, Perry, I appreciate your support. And, kudos to you! I lost a few subscribers after my Want Health? essay. Perhaps the facts are difficult for some people.
appriciaate your getting back to me. I think your commitment is a laudable one. Wish I could do the same. Guilt makes me eat more mediteranian food less meat cause I do love my pasta and breads
lol
yes all life is precious but I do like my lamb chops. Should we stop buying flowers. Stop eating grains. Is mammalian life any more precious than the life of a plant that keeps us all feed. There is a ballance.
We all have to make choices on how to live, which includes on what we consume. You are right about balance. This is my choice, based on my long-held convictions. You might not agree. Thank you for your comment, Jazzme.
Thank you Perry. I rarely eat meat anymore but when I do it is pasture raised and organic. I live on the ocean so I do eat fish--is that any better, I don't know. But I'm one that also believes plants are sentient beings 😁 I think if people were shown what commercial livestock and poultry go through and how they live, many more would be eating less meat. As James mentioned, those scenes are "haunting" or downright horrid. My parents are in the 90s and believe that commercial animals are still eating grass in fields... they "don't want to know about it" when I have brought it up over the years.
Thank you, Tania. I rarely eat meat and am motivated to stop it altogether. The video at the end is what I believe.