As a vegan you get to hear again and again from meat eaters that Meat in moderation healthy and ethically justifiable. But is that really the case? In principle, it is very commendable to reduce one's own meat consumption. Be it for our own health, our environment or the welfare of animals. But does it make the piece of meat on your plate healthier, more environmentally friendly and more animal-friendly?
In this article I would like to question the meaning of the argument "meat in moderation is okay for me" - and show whether it is a sensible, logical argument, or whether in the end you are merely deceiving yourself in order to soothe your own conscience.
Is it sensible and healthy to eat meat in moderation?
Of course, reducing meat consumption is already a step in the right direction, as you reduce the resource intensity and greenhouse gas emissions of your personal diet, for example. However, one more meatless day a week does not make eating meat healthier or more ethical. It doesn't matter if you eat 2 or 7 pork cutlets a week: animal products are still bad for your body. And if you eat them regularly, you triple the risk of heart disease, compared to eating a plant-based diet anytime.₁
Lurking in animal foods saturated fatty acids, Trans fats, animal proteins, Hormones, Antibiotics and Cholesterol. Your body absorbs the latter exclusively through meat, milk and eggs. Through plants, we can ultimately absorb exactly the nutrients and vitamins that we hope for from animal products such as a beef steak. They then only come without the unhealthy ingredients and also without animal suffering. Because besides the health effects, you're still paying someone to kill animals so you can eat them. And all this even though the Eat meat not necessary is. From a health and ethical point of view, reducing your meat consumption basically changes nothing.
So don't let your habits lead you to say that moderate meat consumption in moderation is already okay. Or would you accept if a racist promised you that in the future he would only insult two people a week instead of seven? If your food is bad for your body and claims innocent victims, then it simply cannot be okay.
Notice: For meat to be on your plate, there always has to be a sacrifice. You can learn more about this in these vegan documentaries.
Eating meat in moderation hardly changes anything
Of course: it's better for your body, our environment and wildlife if you consume your meat only in moderation and not in mass. But even if your behavior is better, it still demands sacrifices of your body, nature and other living beings. In my opinion it is therefore not enough to be "only" vegetarian.
Why should we eat meat when it has long since ceased to be essential for survival and plant-based foods are available in abundance? There are even meat alternatives that are not inferior to their animal counterparts in either appearance or taste. Just look at this juicy soy pattie, which you can enjoy as a patty or a burger, for example. You definitely get a simple and good start with the Blog article about vegan life.
Do you have questions, tips or special experiences with eating meat in moderation? Then just write me a comment.
Stay sustainable,
PS.: You want to know more prejudices about veganism? Then look for example in the article "Vegan is just a trend" in.
References:
₁ National Institutes of Health: Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical (Accessed 08 Jan. 2019), Available from: https://t1p.de/avcc. [07.05.2020].
