Car·ni·vo-ri-an
[kahr-nuh-vohr-ee-uhn]
– noun
1. a human that eats meat of any kind and loves it.
I am a Carnivorian, which is a fictitious word that I created to add credibility to us meat eaters. With that said, my wife is a vegetarian and until last month so was my mother. I understand their reasons for being veggie heads and I greatly support their choice, but I have to have my meat.
The truth is that too much of anything can be harmful, not just meat. Therefore, I recommend that you eat vegetables with every meat dish because both supply you with necessary vitamins and minerals. Those who maintain a strict vegetarian diet must digest supplements to compensate for the loss of the essentials that meat can provide. However, there is a difference between healthy and unhealthy meats.
Organic is the healthiest option for any meat eater. For any farmer or food manufacturer to label their product as organic they must abide by strict USDA guidelines ranging from the use of natural fertilizers, insects and birds to reduce pests, organic feed, rotational grazing, and clean housing to help minimize disease. These may seem like common sense practices, but unfortunately, for non-organic products, they are not.
Eating leaner meats is another way to look right through the deception. According to the USDA, lean beef has fewer than 10 g of fat, 4.5 g or fewer of saturated fat and fewer than 95 mg of cholesterol per 3 1/2 oz of meat. Extra lean beef has fewer than 5 g of fat, 2 g of saturated fat and less than 95 mg of cholesterol. Other than red meat: chicken, turkey, cod, and tuna are much healthier and still satisfy my carnage!
I could write an entire blog on the nostalgia behind eating meat, but I will save that for another time. Meat is and has always been a staple for this country and a necessity when trying to maintain my health. There are arguments on both sides, but in the end, with a little discipline and knowledge Carnivorian's can go on enjoying the tradition.