Let me just get this over with from the get-go: I love meat. Roasted chicken is my idea of heaven on earth. I love rare steak and burgers. I always order Carpaccio when it’s on the menu, same with Duck Confit. I also love to cook meat; in culinary school, the protein is always the star of the show and I got quiet good at preparing it.
But lately I’ve been struggling with the issue of eating animals. Knowing- and I mean really knowing- as many farm animals as I do, it’s impossible for me to fool myself into believing that the animals I eat didn’t have personalities. Each of my sheep is has likes and dislikes and all kind of characteristics that make them unique. Even my chickens are definitely individuals. There is a disconnect for me between devoting my life to creating a sanctuary for the animals lucky enough to live on my farm while roasting and sauteing those that aren’t. But I really, really didn’t want to give up eating meat. So I found it better just not to think about it too hard.
Only that’s becoming harder and harder to do anymore. Several of my level-headed, even-keeled friends have given up meat in the last year. They haven’t exactly become vegetarians but they are eating a lot more fish fish and a lot less bacon. And nearly everyone I know has read and heartily recommended Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals. (I get at least three emails a day from readers urging me to read it.) It was all very unsettling.
So I was thrilled when I found this Huffington Post article by Susie Middleton on this very subject. Susie is amazing and one of my heros. She’s the former editor of Fine Cooling Magazine (one of only two cooking mags I ever buy) and she’s written about me before. Her recipe’s are fresh and interesting and invariably the ones I return to again and again. She’s also a fellow Vineyarder and an all around fascinating person.
Susie’s article is so sane and sensible and middle-path-ish that I’ve decided to give her suggestions a try. I’m not becoming a vegetarian- at least not yet- but I’m going to cut back on my meat-eating and make sure I always source the meat I do eat responsibly. I recognize the fact that this won’t end my internal conflict about eating animals but it’s a step in the right direction.
I want to be clear that I’ve been struggling with this is FOR ME. Not for anyone else. I would never sit in judgement of anyone else’s decision about what to eat. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue.
p.s. The photo at the top of this post isn’t there to make you feel guilty or manipulate you. It’s just illustrates what I’ve been looking at everyday while struggling with this.
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t have a farm, I don’t own sheep. I don’t own cows or turkeys or chickens. I also can’t bring myself to eat something that was sentient and suffered and died just so I can have a burger. My kids eat meat, my husband eats meat and I cook it for them because they do eat it. It’s a very personal decision to make and a very difficult one to live by. I try to be middle of the road passionate which means accepting that other people do eat things that were living. At the end of the day though, I am happy with my decision.
I’ve struggled with this too. On the one hand, I try my best to never harm any living creature. On the other it seems unnatural to exclude animal protein from the human diet and, well, I really like meat. My biggest issue is with the quality of life the animals had before they were killed. So my husband and I do our best to eat local meat from farms that we know treat the animals well. And when we have meat we fix it well and enjoy it, rather than wasting is on subpar meals.
My view is maybe not so balanced, as I’ve been a vegetarian for 21 of my 33 years, but I say come on over to the compassionate side! There is so much delicious food that doesn’t require eating animals, and it is so easy. Plus, doesn’t it just seem gross to eat a dead body?
Thanks for your thoughtful post. Even reducing your consumption of animals has a large positive impact on the environment. Good for you!
Deciding how to eat is such a hard issue! I wasn’t raised vegetarian but have refused meat from the time I could speak for myself – I just think it’s disgusting, not so much the taste as the TEXTURE. Ugh. So for me it’s not as difficult as for people who really crave and love to eat it. Regardless of your final decisions (if such things even exist), I think it’s really good to go through the thought processes & mull these issues over. Thanks for the post!
Like you, I have gone through a lot of soulsearching on the very subject for many years. I think that there is no easy answer. There is only an answer that is right for you, at that particular time.
For me, at first it was eating only white meat and fish, then only fish, then becoming vegetarian, and lately it has been moving towards vegan.
My reasoning started with how much the animals could actually understand their fate/feel. Upon research and personal experience, I found that this encompassed more and more animals. Ultimately, my reasoning changed to a question: “can they feel pain and be afraid?”. That was enough for me. I couldn’t see how any species could survive without ability to feel pain and fear. To me that was the “answer”.
That was my journey. This does not mean that yours should be the same, or that it should even lead to the same conclusions, but I did want to let you know that you are not alone struggling with these questions, and that there are many ways of looking at this issue.
I, too, love meat. And I also try hard not to think about where it came from. That’s why I’m not a fan of foods such as Cornish hens, which still look just like birds on your plate. I have pushed myself to become a bit more vegetarian because it is hard to reconcile my love of animals with my love of meat.
But here’s the thing: I don’t eat too much meat. I live in a kosher household, and it’s a pain to get kosher meat sometimes. Plus, my dad’s a vegetarian so mom would only cook meat when he was away. With all these factors, I am used to having meat once a month or so. After reading the article you linked to I decided that I do pretty well–I definitely do not eat meat at more than one meal per day. And kosher animals are supposed to be slaughtered in a more humane fashion. So I continue to follow my stomach and try not to feel too guilty.
I am a vegetarian, but I’ve had the same struggle with veganism. One of my stumbling blocks is that I do really believe in the food chain, but I’m not always sure what that means for myself. Part of the problem is this all-or-nothing attitude that comes up. I think a great way to start is to really think about what you do eat, make conscious decisions, buy any animal products from humane sources, and eliminate them where you won’t miss them. For me, that means that 90% of my baking is vegan because I don’t miss the dairy there, and my cheese is organic and local because I’m not about to give it up. Good luck in your journey!
I was a strict vegetarian for many years and after going through a period of feeling guilty for eating vegetables (after all, they want to live, too, and they can’t run away), I decided that, for me, really being thankful for what I was eating was the key.
Lately I’ve begun eating meat again. First it was Michael Pollan’s article “An Animal’s Place” http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/magazine/an-animal-s-place.html?pagewanted=all and then his book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. (I have a friend who claims he is keeping track of all the vegetarians he knows who now eat meat after reading that book.
Those things got me thinking, and the amount of travel I now do made it such that it was much, much easier if I ate meat again.
I rarely cook meat at home – it’s expensive and I don’t really know how. But once in a while I will, and when I’m eating out I consider the meat options *and* the vegetarian options when I order. My new standard is this: I want the meat I eat to have a happy life and death, and so I try to avoid factory-farmed foods.
So good luck with this. My eating habits continue to evolve, as I’m sure yours will. For me, at the moment, making thoughtful, thankful choices is the most important thing.
Yan has been reading a lot of those types of books as well and as a result we have given up all factory farmed meat. We only eat meat that we buy from local farms (we usually buy from Gray Horse farm in Stanford, NY) where we know the animals are treated well. When we eat out at restaurants we order vegetarian dishes unless we know the meat is from a local farm we’re familiar with. It’s worked out very well so far, especially since I invested in a nice big slow cooker.
lucky you living so close to polyface farm it will be easy for you to have access to a responsible and pasture-raised meat source.
I was a vegetarian for 10 years, and broke my “fast” on a farm in Charlottesville, Va. because I felt a connection to their cow which was identified by a number. 20 years later I still eat meat, chicken, fish because I love food and it tastes good. I am an omnivore. I wish that I was in a financial position to only eat those creatures that were raised, farmedm, caught humanely so as to support small farmers, fishermen and women. I support our farmers market, try to eat local when possible and give my business to restaurants with the same committment. The dilemma is how to make this good food affordable for everyone. I believe that by supporting good food we support small businesses and that without them the world would be a sadder place.
My husband and I have been vegetarians for 16+ years now and are raising our children as vegetarians. Our decision was made based on not knowing how the animals were treating during their lives but especially at their deaths. It was a need to have more of a connection with where our food came from. It was too easy to go to the store and buy meat; the conscience didn’t have to get involved. We try not to judge others for their decisions. For me I could only justify eating meat if I lived on a farm but then I could not get myself to harm any of the animals for the exact reasons you expressed. I’m just not meant to eat meat.
I have no problem eating meat (many creatures would certainly eat me!) but I do have a problem with waste, excess, and factory farming. I saw a documentary on chicken farms and have eaten pastured eggs and chickens as much as I can ever since. I am lucky to live in eastern PA, near the bounty of Lancaster County. I have easy all be it expensive access to wonderful locally grown meats, produce, pastured chickens, pastured beef…..The expense makes me really think about my food comsumption and plan ahead. I have it about 80 percent down and that is pretty good!
I’m so glad you braved this subject. I’ve been struggling with the same questions. I’ll read the book too for more information but I’ve essentially come to the same conclusions as you mention, less frequent, high quality, from humane sources, etc.
I also personally add gratitude. As I prepare, and fully eat with no waste, an animal, I thank them for their life-giving nutrients.
My teeth are serrated for tearing flesh, I feel my body needs the unnamed essential nourishment found only in meat. I believe it is cruel. But then I remember all life itself is cruel, and not always in a bad way. I remember my immune cells are killing other invading cells, etc.
It does pull me up short when my beloved cat friend’s leg looks the same as a chicken drumstick. That’s when eating someone I care about connects in my mind.
I find it interesting that it’s not actually better for the planet to go totally vegetarian…it’s better to eat _some_ meat, raised very locally, just like the veggies need to be raised locally. But we all know how hard is it to do that!
Susie, you know if you want advice, recipes, or a big squishy hug, I’m here for you. The black bean soup and cornbread we had for dinner tonight kicked ass (if I do say so myself), and was incredibly easy.
Also, this http://baconsalt.com/ will aid you immensely as a flavoring in recipes you’d usually add meat to (like the ham hock in pea soup, or to remind your cornbread of the bacon fat you’re not baking it in).
I eat meat too, and hate to think of the suffering (among other evils) caused by factory farming. At the same time though, most breeds of farm animals wouldn’t exist if people didn’t eat them. I am lucky enough to live in an area with a vibrant agricultural life–we have a CSI for meat (http://groups.ucanr.org/LocalMeatProd/) and the producers who participate commit to ethical, humane, and sustainable practices. It is probably a bit more expensive than grocery store meat (althoug I never actually priced it out), but for me it’s worth it both to support my local farmers and to eat meat I can feel good about. I bet this is an idea that would work in other places too . . .
me again–I actually meant CSA (oops).
I eat a lot less meat than I used to because I’ve gotten lazy. Meat isn’t filling, it’s expensive, and it requires too much fussing. I don’t have a family to cook for, so I’d just as soon eat Cheerios. I keep a couple of different kinds of sausage in the freezer to throw on my pasta, but sometimes I go to bed a bit hungry because I can’t be bothered.
I read somewhere that if you’re cutting down on meat for health reasons, to think of meat as a flavoring, like in generic pasta sauce.
And it’s interesting to watch small children transition to full carnivores. They produce quantities of toxic gas all out of proportion to their body mass and they often find the texture weird and difficult — my nephew wouldn’t eat grown-up meat unless I could prove it was something the Big Bad Wolf would eat!
It really pleases me to see how many people are really THINKING about what they eat now. Whether you end up as a vegan or omnivore or somewhere in between, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to have your eyes open and to really decide for yourself how you want to eat. I think that’s wonderful!
For me, I do eat meat, but I do so much more thoughtfully and reverently than before. I’m doing my best to avoid meats from factory farms, and I’m sourcing more of my meat locally. I’ve become friends with a pig farmer who is a lovely person and reminds me of you (as much as I know you through your blog posts). She gives her animals a good life, with plenty of pasture to roam, good organic foods to eat, and excellent care. Then when their time comes, she actually thanks them for their sacrifice. Knowing that, I approach my meals with so much more reverence for the life that was given for me.
I know this doesn’t make sense to everyone, and it’s not the right way for everyone. But I’ve thought it through, and it works for me. Good luck on your own journey!
The choice to become pescotarian was easy for me; my husband’s vegetarian and has been since long before we met, so it made the switchover that much easier. But if you don’t have someone like that in your life, I know how difficult the switch (or, as it were, gradual move away from meat) can be.
As a way of adding encouragement, just be assured that I felt so much better after I stopped eating meat, especially red meat. Not just emotionally, but physically. The emotional side helps, too, of course. I’m originally from the Pacific NW so I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to give up fish, but I will if I’m no longer presented with a sustainable option.
So I applaud you on your decision. Good luck with it, and all my best with poor darling Lucy.
I am mostly Armenian and there was nothing more wonderful growing up in my family than shish-kebob made of lamb. That is, until I saw a picture of a baby lamb hopping around acting goofy. That changed it all for me. I haven’t had shish-kebob or any lamb product in over 20 years.
I try and stay away meat but I still struggle with beef and chicken since it’s so convenient. And to be honest, to me, there is nothing better than a hunk of Prime Rib with lots of drippings used for bread pudding.
I still struggle with the guilt and will probably continue to do so until I cut out all meat. I really liked the article you posted Susie. It has given me some more ideas as to how I can continue to cut out meat in my diet.
I have been struggling with this as well. Growing up on a farm I am VERY aware of what goes into our food, and I was a vegetarian for a while. But lately I loose my appetite when it comes to meats.
I’ve been vegetarian for nearly four years, but now its a bigger deal to me to really look at what I’m eating/not eating, becuase I’m five months pregnant and will soon need to make food choices for my daughter. While I’m pregnant I can control everything that goes in her body, but once shes out and feeding herself, I can’t. I don’t plan to raise her vegetarian, but I plan to buy meat from small family farms.
I don’t eat meat. For whatever reason, I never really liked it, even as a kid. (Though I do occasionally get a craving for my mom’s brisket, and a hamburger.) I may, at some point, eat meat that I am able to know lived well (ie, not smushed into tiny pens and feeling all stressed all the time). I understand that some people choose not to think about where their food comes from, and devote their thoughts to many quality things that I don’t think about. But for me, I could never go back to eating factory farmed meat. I love animals too much. This Thanksgiving, I even bought a locally raised turkey, who, as the person selling it to me said, “had a better life that I do.” Even though I don’t eat it, I felt like I needed to put my money where my mouth was for any meat I even buy for others. So I stood out in the cold, waiting in line for a turkey that cost about 3x what the supermarket variety does. I wouldn’t be able to afford to do this, necessarily, if I ate meat regularly, but since it’s a once a year expense, I can handle it, and will from now on.
I’ve been struggling with this topic recently as well. My husband and I eat a lot of fish, and when we do have chicken or pork (very rarely), I make an extra effort to know where it is from. That said, I feel that I would be very happy ridding all meat from my diet. I believe it is better for your health and environment. I enjoyed reading Jane Goodall’s Harvest for Hope.
i love chicken more than steak and I love lamb vindaloo from the Indian restaurants I know there so cute and have personalities. i had a lamb when I was taking the animal care specialist course at the adult school. i became attached. I dont think I could give up eating lamb or chicken.
I am a vegetarian. I have been so for a little over a year and made the switch with my boyfriend. The decision came after attending the local fair and joyfully watching newly hatched chick run about. I happen to glance up and saw the banner for a very well know poultry brand. It just broke our hearts. We’re both animal lovers and had found meat to be unsatisfying both for the belly and the soul. It was THE best decision I and we have made.
It’s not easy by any means, at least at first. My boyfriend has a very traditional Mexican family and that means meat at almost every meal. Luckily there are supportive and make sure there’s something for us to eat. The hardest thing is convenience of eating. There are only a few places that actually have something filling for us to eat and fast food is almost completely out of the question.
The best part has been that it has challenged me to come up with new things to cook and new ways to cook them. I’ve also found that I like and will try more vegetables. I feel amazing physically and my heart is happy to know that another creature isn’t hurt for my benefit.
I definitely have to applaud you for thinking through your eating habits and making more animal friendly decisions. You’re amazing Susie and I love reading about your life, good and bad. You have lots of support from me as well as your other readers. I wish lots of good feeling and healing vibes to your little Lucy.
I wrote about this subject not long ago – see blog entry “hypocrisy and freezer camp” which pretty much sums it up… as an update though, goat is delicious if cooked right (boer, though, NOT angora); and we recently sent our steer who is equally delicious. I’m really trying to be a farmer … as all encompassing as that is.
This is the way I look at it, and I reserve the right to change my mind at any point in my life. I eat meat, but I respect it, too. I remember once when I was in high school I was helping my mom prepare a whole chicken, and I picked it up and started making it dance around. She quietly reminded me that this was an animal whose life was ended so that we could have roast chicken for dinner, and that always stuck with me. I know that certain mammals eat other mammals, and humans have always been meat-eaters, so I don’t really consider it too far from nature that I will eat meat from an animal who had a personality, but I am thankful to that animal and pay it respect when I cook it.
Other side is, yes, there’s some guilt there, I think that when you’re making the “humans have always eaten meat” argument, as I pretty much just did, there’s also the point to be made that “maybe humans didn’t always think about the personalities of the animals they were eating, and maybe it’s a step higher on the evolutionary ladder for us that we do.”
What I don’t think is okay is the treatment of animals from corporate farms, and I don’t like the chemicals and hormones. I am slowly trying to incorporate locally (or at least harmoniously) raised meat and produce into our diet. It’s a slow process in my house, but I’m trying. When it comes to fish, I am 100% for wild caught fish, which is almost never local. Our guideline there is simply that we don’t eat farmed fish ever, for many reasons.
So, while I accept that I don’t know anything for SURE, that’s how I look at this particular issue at this point in my life.
Good topic.
As a vegetarian who doesn’t believe in pushing it on anyone, my new personal effort has been to eat more locally and in season vegetables. It means winter is filled with things like collards and kale, potatos, mushrooms and other winter foods. Its hard to eat local in the suburbs of a big city, but we try, and do better in the summer than in the winter (farmers markets are only open in the summer in the part of the DC suburbs I live in)
You might also want to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, its a really great book just as a read, and opens your eyes about eating locally and in a sustainable manner.
Whatever you decide, less meat is more healthy and eating with a conscience can only be better for the planet and for the community.