Should We Eat Meat?

Introduction 

Anyone who has had the pleasure of eating a good pork chop, roasted chicken or grilled beef agrees that meat is great and the process of consuming meat is pleasurable. In most cases, therefore, the argument about meat is not premised on whether eating meat is good but rather whether meat is good for eating. Among the focal points of this argument is ethical in nature and revolves around whether humans have the right to kill other animals for food. Another popular argument against the eating of meat and animal products is the environmental perspective where the rearing of animals for meat is argued to contribute towards environmental change. It has further been argued that meat and meat products contribute exponentially to many communicable and non-communicable diseases. All allegations against the eating of meat are either unsubstantiated or debunked leaving the solid truth that the process of eating meat is enjoyable and meat is also good to eat. 

Meat Is Extremely Delicious 

Almost everyone who has tasted good meat will have to agree that meat is extremely delicious and comes in a variety of all-rounded cuisine. There are almost as many meats to eat as there are ways to prepare them, all of which result in great and enjoyable meat. The article by Fraser (2011) is authored by a lady who had been a vegetarian for 15 years until she tasted a roasted chicken. The taste of the chicken compelled her to completely overhaul a philosophy about meat that she had held for over 15 years: “Roasted chicken, I realized, is wonderful. Meat is good”. Fraser brings to the fore the strongest available argument for the consumption of meat, the fact that meat is extremely tasty and a wonderful experience. Those who refuse to eat meat are denying themselves one of the greatest pleasures in life. Similarly, the article by Gladden (2010) is penned by a lady whose entire philosophy about meat changed when she consumed a plate of well-prepared beef. Initially, Gladden was an absolute vegan who believed that it was evil to eat anything that had once been alive and walking around. Her opinion about the evils of meat were all changed by the taste of meat in her mouth. Perhaps the best way to change the minds of most vegetarians and vegans is to convince them to have a bite of well-prepared meat. 

Nutritional Perspective 

Eating meat is healthy as it contains body building proteins in their complete form, various minerals, energy-giving carbohydrates, and some essential vitamins. Putting meat or meat extracts in a meal enables one to make a balanced diet using very simple ingredients. The alternative of not eating meat leads to the need to combine and balance different complicated and sometimes expensive ingredients to try and replicate the nutrients found in meat. According to Fraser (2011), vegetarians need to go out of their way and use complicated ingredients to replace the nutrients that are readily available in meat. Refusing to eat meat then go out of the way to find what is readily available in meat is akin to reinventing the wheel. Humans are physiologically meant to eat meat as there are nutrients essential to man that can only be found in meat and meat products. 

The Ethical Perspective 

The strongest contrary argument against eating meat is that it is ethically wrong as it involves the killing of animals, which are sentient beings and also ruins t he environment. The imagined evil of killing an animal for food is what made Gladden turn into a complete vegan who could neither eat meat nor use any meat or animal products (Gladden,2010). This argument has been canvassed at length in the journal article by Hsiao (2015) where the myth about the ethics of not eating meat is debunked. Hsiao argues that: “These arguments, however, fail to specify the conceptual connection between sentience and moral status”. Whereas it is true that animals feel pain when they are killed for food, it does not mean that making an animal or any other being feel pain is immoral as long as the pain is meant for a worthy cause. Food and nutrition is a worthy cause for causing pain to animals. Finally, the climate change argument is debunked in the article by Niman (2009), which has been written by a rancher who has firsthand experience in raising animals for meat. Niman contends that raising animals in itself does not contribute to climate change as long as it is done right. It is greed, not meat that is causing climate change. 

Conclusion 

Meat is good to eat, not just because it tastes great but because it contains nutrients essential to human beings. It is clear from the analysis above that most vegetarians and vegans would change their entire philosophy about meat if they got a taste of some good meat. Changing of philosophy because of taste either means that the taste is really great and the philosophy exponentially shaky and lacking in foundation. Therefore, many arguments against the eating of meat are unfounded and based on a misconception . The most solid arguments based on ethics and environmental conservation have also been found by experts to lack merit. It is from the totality of the above that eating meat is highly recommended for all. 

References 

Fraser, L. (2011, September 24). Why I stopped being a vegetarian. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://www.salon.com/2000/01/07/vegetarian/ 

Gladden, L. (2010, March 03). The ethical epicure: Another look at meat. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from http://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/taste/the-ethical-epicure-another-look-at-meat/article_cedddb24-a270-5f92-bee3-11436b0df095.html 

Hsiao, T. (2015). In defense of eating meat.  Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics ,  28 (2), 277-291 

Niman, H. (2009, October 30). The carnivore’s dilemma. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/opinion/31niman.html