An interesting article by US food writer Mark Bittman in the New York Times discusses the various negative aspects of high consumption of meat. In Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, Bittman concentrates primarily on industry and environmental issues.
It’s an odd piece, using a range of facts, some rather random, to support an argument that Americans should eat less meat. Some of his figures are contradictory: the claim that the US diet includes eight ounces (235 gm) of meat per day doesn’t match a later statement:
Americans are downing close to 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish per capita per year
Eight ounces (235 gm) per day would be 188 pounds per year… yet Bittman says 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish.
Still, it’s a hell of a lot either way. I eat at most 400 gm red meat and poultry per week, so less than 60 gm (2 oz) per day. How much meat do you or those around you eat per day?
NB: A greatly edited version of Bittman’s article appeared in The Age, Melbourne, but it’s not worth linking to.
hey duncan,
i wrote a similar article on my website (not blog) today…
http://www.animalvegetablemineral.net.au/home/
I wonder if that is the cooked or uncooked weight of the meat portion? In terms of M/P/F I think we eat around a total of 100gm uncooked per day, with exceptions of course, like when we do a pie review. For the most part, 80% of what is consumed in our home is fruit and vegetables though. Thats’s why I am always incredulous when I see 300-500g steaks on offer in some dining venues.
The impact on the environment of that kind of enormous consumption is quite unpleasant to say the least.