For most of history, eating meat was a profound, sacramental occasion. A lot of thought went into the hunt and preparation of a beast. Now we kill animals without ceremony, without thought. It could be argued that our current cavalier dietary habits are reflected by how the meat industry treats and kills its animals.
It's time we became more mindful about eating meat. Here's how.
Meat is momentous
Meat was once so highly thought of that is was cooked to a smoky crisp as an offering to the Gods. To cook meat is a wonderfully communal event - it brings people together in a celebration of a feast. We hover around the barbecue in anticipation of how the first steak will turn out. However, tradition is dying and the values of eating meat are nearly all but forgotten by many.
Cheap meat is a mistake
Cheap food is a great blessing, but it's also a great curse. When we hear there is a healthcare crisis, that's really just a euphemism for the catastrophe that is the New Zealand diet. Despite our access to healthy food, harmful processed cheap meat continues to be a favourite for Kiwis. Fresh meat is great, but processed, additive-laden beef burgers and chicken nuggets are fake foods that should be avoided.
Meat eating is a personal choice
We have vegans on one end of the spectrum and Paleo advocates on the other. I'm in the middle. I'm not vegetarian because I enjoy eating meat - it's nutritious, I like the taste and it doesn't compromise my values, but I don't have it everyday. It's not necessary to rid your diet of animal products to be healthy, nor do you have to get a considerable portion of your calories from meat. It's about balance and variety.
Eating meat is an environmental act
Many environmental advocates claim we need to reduce our intake of meat. The world cannot supply enough to satisfy our carnivorous appetites without sacrificing the Earth's resources and encouraging the growing mistreatment of animals. We need to pay more attention to the food chain and the consequences of each link. There is no doubt that 'Meatfree Monday' is not just about us, it has benefits beyond our own health.
Rules and taboos surround meat
Some cultures and religions place great importance on meat, surrounding it with rules - like Muslim people eating Halal meat or the Jewish following Kosher practice. They understand there is a sacrifice involved so they place greater value on the food. But in our modern, Western world, these values and thoughts are regretfully and quickly forgotten.
Ethical values
How can we justify eating meat? Possibly by where and how the animal is raised. In New Zealanders we're lucky that most meat here is pastured with the animals being allowed to graze in open fields. However, the treatment of farmed animals is often not far from the headlines. Recently, the farming of free-range chickens has, yet again, come under the spotlight. Now we're questioning what free-range really means. With books looking at the inhumane suffering of animals, our decision to eat or exclude meat is becoming more and more of an ethical and moral decision - just as it is a decision about health.
