Where's the Beef?

After the long journey from California to my hometown just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for Christmas, it was a welcome treat to get the most Midwestern of welcomes from my mother. A hug, a beer, and a platter of cheese and summer sausage. It didn’t surprise me that these things were ready, that’s just how my family is—what surprised me a little is that I didn’t touch the summer sausage. And not just that night, but for the whole week I was there. Growing up, summer sausage was like its own food group for me. But now, well, I just didn’t want any. I wrote it off to getting older and changing taste buds, but then I read Mark Bittman’s article in the New York Times.

It turns out, Americans are eating less meat. Since 2007, 12 percent less. This seems to jive with where I’m at in my own food journey. He even introduced me to a new term: “flexitarianism.” It’s someone who is actively trying to eat less meat, but isn’t a committed vegetarian. That’s me – it seems I’m a flexitarian. (While I agree with the approach to food, I think they’ll need to come up with a better name). This general decline in meat consumption seems to be giving rise to an anti-vegetarianism PR campaign from the beef industry, which is no surprise and is likely to continue to be the case as long as our national attitude draws strange lines between financial profit and healthy eating.

I’m intrigued by the idea of giving up meat for a day a week, like the Meatless Monday movement suggests. My wife and I lived on Honaunau farm this past fall during the Breadfruit festival, and I can tell you that the locals prepare incredible dishes with no meat. If you’re looking for a new option for cooking hearty without meat, check out breadfruit. I’ve also learned plenty about the benefits to eating less or no meat, both for environmental and personal health, from the Care2 Vegetarian Group.

I’m curious who else out there is consciously eating less meat, how it’s going for you, and if you have any tips or resources to recommend. And to those who have gone from carnivore to vegetarian or vegan, what moved you along that path?

Let me know in the comments. My best to you all, wherever you are on your own food journey.

Image credit: SocialRobot via Flickr

Read more: Food, Health, Life, eating meat, healthy eating, vegetarian

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Pat M.

1:06AM PST on Jan 31, 2012

Good to read

send a green star

Lauren F.

8:55AM PST on Jan 24, 2012

interesting.

Kelley P.

6:27PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

This is very interesting. I am glad there is a term for trying to eat less meat. Progress!

Sue M.

12:56PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

thanks

mary a.

9:50AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

You know how they say,"live by example." Well, being in contact with a couple of people I admire who are vegetarians got me into it. As a "flexitarian" I have believed for a long time that meat production and consumption is unhealthy and so I reduced my meat consuumption by a lot. The more I learned the less I ate and the very flavor of it started to completely turn me off most of the time. BUT WHAT REALLY DID IT FOR ME IS ALL THE HORRIFIC INFORMATION THAT IS NOW MAKING IT INTO THE MAINSTREAM ABOUT FACTORY FARMING. We all need to ensure that the message just SATURATES the public media!

Dave C.

4:31PM PST on Jan 22, 2012

eat poultry and "green" fish in limited amounts....used to eat a lot less healthy for me and the world, but hindsight is 20/20 and ignorance while not excusing is blind....

Vicki P.

2:36PM PST on Jan 22, 2012

Thank=you for article

Suzanne L.

2:31PM PST on Jan 22, 2012

Good article showing the trend.

paula e.

10:40AM PST on Jan 22, 2012

Being vegetarian all yhe time and vegan several times a week no animal has to die. Meat is behind alot of medical problems.

Carole K.

9:05AM PST on Jan 22, 2012

I guess that I am a flexitarian too; I definitely eat less red meat than I did in my younger years. But there is no ideology built up around this dietary practice; it's just that I no longer want to eat as much meat as I did in my youth. I probably would have snagged a slice or two of the summer sausage off that meat/cheese tray for a holiday taste treat; but the whole sausage is pretty safe with me. Can take it now & again or leave it alone mostly............................