The Meat Eater

Food issues are my my passion. If there is one thing I want to make a difference in, it is how we produce, think about, and eat food. It blew my mind when famous chef Jamie Oliver said that people were dying because of the food they eat. How messed up is that? Food is supposed to nourish us, not kill us.

So I do my best to make a difference in the food realm, but it has come to my attention that... maybe I'm not doing a good enough job?

I shouldn't be surprised, but my interest in food issues leads people to believe I'm a hardcore vegetarian or a vegan. While I am not scarfing down steaks every meal of the day, I am indeed a meat eater. I love meat. It tastes delicious. I tried going vegetarian. I was miserable, unhappy, and actually not very healthy. "You're doing it wrong!" I hear a few of you saying. Seriously though, I get physically very ill if I go without meat too long. I really believe that there are some body types that need meat. But now is not the time for that specific discussion that will inevitably turn into an ugly debate. 

I have been educated and informed about my choice to eat meat- especially meat produced in large feedlots. I know of all the terrible things that happen to the animals I eat before I purchase it. I know about the living conditions in the feedlots, the antibiotics and food the animals are given, and the slaughtering process itself. I know about the unethical conditions workers in the animal food processing industry go through. I know that even if I buy ethical meat,  I should still be eating lower on the food chain anyways. Also, ethical meat still means killing animals, and I love animals.

And yet, I still eat meat. Maybe I need a baby cow to just...come up to me and talk to me or something. 

.....you get the idea. So what's a meat-eating, food justice oriented individual to do? Am I supposed to make a long term pledge to gradually make myself a vegetarian or something? Is that what I'm obligated to do?

I mean, I would say I've made good progress in HOW I eat meat. I definitely eat less of it. I make an effort to support "good" meat that is raised ethically and sustainably. I also have switched over to eating meat "in season" (poultry in summer, pork/ beef into fall and winter). A side effect of all this is that I appreciate the meat I do eat- I'm not mindless, but mindful of when I am eating meat. Traditional meals ranging from grill-outs to thanksgiving are also more special because I'm eating not-in-season meat during those times. 

So at least I'm trying to be responsible about my meat consumption. 

But I still eat meat, and most of it is still not-so-good for the planet. "So why do you eat meat? Why are you being so terrible, AM!?"

You got me, I guess. The best answer I can give at this point is that perfection is only for deities, gods and goddesses.

Also, don't tell me to just shop at organic grocery stores and it'll be all right. Choosing better food to eat is a little more complicated than simply shopping at the right place. For example, take a Co-op: you can buy products from local farmers and get food that has been raised and grown well. This is super great!....even if it is super expensive. However, I hilariously caught myself actually thinking that buying Annie's Organic cheddar bunnies at the Co-op is healthier for me...because it's at the Co-op! It turns out it is NOT the healthier route, just a more expensive way to get a stomach ache.

*sigh* I'll get the hang of this "eating" thing one day. 

AM