The Merits of Meat Munching

While becoming a vegetarian might have been an obvious and easy choice for some, it was not for me. Giving up meat has been very difficult, and while my willpower has kept me in the green thus far, it has been a trying experience. Why? Well, because meat has a lot going for it. After all, humans evolved as omnivorous creatures. It is in our very nature to eat animals. A diet that includes meat is:

I looked and felt like this when I ate meat

Tasty: I’m not going to lie. Meat is delicious. I constantly have cravings for it, and I even dream about it, (this is not a joke, I’ve literally had several dreams where I’m eating steak).

Look how healthy I was when I ate meat!

Healthy: A balanced diet consisting of the recommended servings of meat with fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy provide the nutrition that people need to maintain healthy bodies and minds. While vegetarians can get the nutrients found in meat from non-meat products, this often requires the consumption of multiple servings of other items to extract the benefits found in just one serving of meat.

Convenient: Meat’s ubiquity in American cuisine makes it easy to obtain and consume. Eating meat allows for many more choices in meals than vegetarianism permits, requiring less time and energy of the consumer to find a tasty and healthy meal.

Normal: In the US, most Americans eat meat and disagree somewhat or completely with vegetarians. Being a vegetarian surrounded by carnivores can make for awkward dining experiences. Eating meat avoids such situations. It is the norm. It’s what the cool kids are up to. Everybody’s doing it. And what they’re doing is mmm mmm delicious.

Being a vegetarian makes you stand out like fat kids at bikini parties

These are the reasons that giving up meat was so difficult for me. Truth be told, the flavor factor is the only really strong reason for me not to give up meat. If only celery tasted like a corned beef sandwich, carrots tasted like bacon, etc., I think being a vegetarian would be so much easier. But they don’t. They taste like crunchy water and uh… carrots. And that can’t compete with the flavor of meat. In any event, it’s clear that there are many strong reasons for eating meat. So why stop? Ah, but that’s the subject of a different post, for a different day. Until then, my friend, until then….