Control Your Carnivore

Meat is a large component of many Americans diets.  Portions at restaurants have steadily increased over the years. Steaks the size of dinner plates and hamburgers 1/3 of a pound can mislead consumers regarding the appropriate serving size for meat and how much meat should be produced.  Did you know that meat varies in quality and nutrition value?

Livestock are usually corn fed.  Cow's stomachs are not evolutionarily designed to properly digest corn; their stomachs are designed to digest grasses.  The result of cows eating corn, methane gas, as opposed to carbon dioxide, is released into the environment. Methane is a denser greenhouse gas than CO2 and it has a greater impact on the earth.  Allowing the livestock to eat grasses instead of corn would not only improve the soil/of the cows’ grazing area, but it would also allow the livestock to roam more open space.  Bison meat is another alternative.

Bison have been roaming the Great Plains (Midwest) for centuries.  They consume grasses and leave behind  natural fertilizers that aids in grass growth.  This is one of the reasons why the Midwest has such bountiful soil.  What the livestock consumes is just as important as what we consume.

Consuming local meat and groceries is one way to eat meat sustainably.  Rotating the livestock is another effective way of creating sustainable meat-eating practices.  The animals occupy different plots of land on the farm and are moved to another plot of land depending upon the season.  By allowing the animals to engage in activities typical of the wild, they are less stressed and give back to the ecosystem. 

In factory settings, the overcrowding of animals leads to pigs knowing on other pigs tails until they are raw.  The pigs don’t fight back because they are depressed.  Chickens have been known to peck the eyes out of other chickens in the tightly packed cages.  Eating meat that is not part of the factory meat industry is healthier for the animals and people. Though livestock cause methane gas to form, the fossil fuels that we use, the landfills that we produce, and the overproduction of petroleum contribute a great deal to global warming.  Not only is it important to reduce our global carbon footprint by decreased consumption of these unnatural sources of energy, but also eating less meat would contribute to a smaller carbon footprint. Eating less meat is also generally good for your health.

The recommended serving size for meat by the USDA is about 3 ounces or about the size of a deck of playing cards.  One would not be able to tell the correct amount of meat to consume by going into a restaurant or grocery store; meat is sold in large quantities and it is cheaper to buy in bulk.  Portions at restaurants are usually 2 if not 3 times larger than the recommended amount.

Sustainable meat consumption is possible.  The deindustrialization of the meat industry and greater awareness of correct meat portion sizes can have a positive impact on the environment and our health.