Guest Post: A case FOR meat-eating

My wonderful friend Jennifer decided to weigh in on the matter of being a responsible carnivore. Here, she tells you why she eats meat, and how she does it the right way.

I grew up with a piece of meat on every plate with every meal. Bacon or sausage links in the morning, thinly sliced ham on my sandwich for lunch and chicken more often for dinner than anyone I knew. Meat was a necessary part of a meal.

There was NEVER any soda in our house. We had to sit at the table until we ate our vegetables. I remember sitting at the dining table in the dark, crickets chirping, and the rest of the family watching reruns of Andy Griffith downstairs while I stared at the huge mound of peas on my plate (Peas are one of my favs now.)

I say this to stress that my parents wanted us to be healthy and eat a well rounded, full food-grouped diet. This being said, the words “organic” or “grass fed” were never uttered. Was it because information about processed foods and factory farming wasn’t available then?

I do remember stories my Dad told about it being a big deal if he and his brother had steak growing up. Meat used to be a treat and much more expensive. Factory farming and corn subsidies from our government made meat more accessible, affordable, and ultimately more dangerous.

Today I’m bombarded with information about what is in the foods I eat and how animals raised for our insatiable appetite for meat are raised. To many, this information points to only one logical moral conclusion – be a vegetarian. After many debates and research, I can commit to being a conscious meat eater.

To my militant veggie hailing friends there is no such thing as a conscious meat eater. I salute you, but I want to eat meat (sometimes) and I want to feel good about it.

How do I feel good about feeding off the flesh?
-I buy local whenever possible. This allows me to really know where my meat comes from. I can visit and literally look into my dinner’s eyes.
-I only buy meat that is antibiotic, growth hormone and steroid free. If I’m going to eat meat, I want meat, not chemicals.
-I only buy meat that has been fed what it would naturally eat and lives a happy life.
-I no longer eat meat with every meal, every day. I listen to my body and eat meat when I feel like I need it.

I feel better when I include meat in my diet and believe that the development of our teeth and digestive system were formed to allow us to process meat.

Yes, ultimately an animal must lose its life. To be a conscious meat eater you must remain aware of that loss of life. I cook with the intention of honoring the sacrifice made and choose to purchase from farms that have given this same respect to the animal during its life.

Many thanks to Jennifer for weighing in!

What do you think? By now we all know there’s a wrong way to go about eating meat. Is Jennifer doing things the right way? Is there a right way? And do our bodies need meat to be the healthiest they can be?