The Need for Change

For my first real, not introductory post, I just thought I would introduce an important reason why reducing meat consummation is so important for us and as a community. 

I found statistics released by the United States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) showing that in 2011, 25.6 billion pounds of beef was consumed throughout the country. 25.6 billion pounds; that’s outrageous!

And just in case you’re hoping that I’m going to say, “That was last year, so this year’s stats are bound to be better,” I’m going to have to let you down. Unfortunately, according to the USDA’s “Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook” newsletter, it is expected that pork is likely to continue to be in very high demand, while demands for lamb and poultry are also increasing.

This is a disturbing amount of meat. The average cow weighs approximately 1350 pounds. 25.6 billion pounds equals approximately 18,962,963 billion cows slaughtered for our meat. There are also a little fewer than 318 million people in the U.S., so we’re looking at about 80 pounds per person each year. I can’t even imagine what percentage of that amount goes in the trash as wasted food.

I realize that some people love meat, and certain people even need the vitamins and protein that go along with a little meat in order to stay healthy. However, these statistics are proof that many people are eating way more than the healthy amount of meat, and unfortunately, billions of cows are losing their lives to feed those people. I do this for my health, but I also do this to avoid adding to those statistics. 

TOPIC RECIPE: Vegetarian Lasagna Skillet

This recipe is really hearty and filling, while still being vegetarian. Great for people who are just beginning to see the rewards of the veggie diet.