Why I Don't Eat Red Meat (Most of the Time)

Meat is expensive, and organic meat is even more expensive. In fact, organic grass-fed beef is one of the most expensive items at the average supermarket. This is one of many reasons why I generally avoid eating red meat. More of the reasons to avoid non-organic red meat can be found below.

1.  Overabundance. If you're not paying attention to what you're eating on a day to day basis you may be surprised by how much red meat you're eating. Before I started paying closer attention to everything I ate I would probably eat red meat two or three times a week, and that is still on the low end when compared to most Americans. The average American consumes at least 2.5oz of red meat every day, with at least one time a week being at a fast food establishment. Simply starting to pay attention to how much you're eating can easily start to deter you from reaching for the easy burger and fries.
2. Health risks. Eating red meat as excessively as is being done in America today is linked to a wide range of adverse health effects. Studies have found that eating red meat at the rate we do now leads to a huge increase in heart disease and cancer risk. Particularly in  women the risk went up to 50%. Specifically with risk to breast cancer,  women who at red meat daily had an increased risk of 56%. Other risks include increasing chances of osteoporosis, arthritis, and Crohn's disease.
3. Raising Cattle. Cattle who are raised on traditional factory farms are not grass-fed. They are instead fed a mixture of corn and bits and pieces of other animals (including horse and pork.) Since cows don't naturally eat these things this food makes them sick, and the farms then pump them full of antibiotics so that they will remain healthy. These antibiotics also come with the side effect of a growth hormone which increases the size of the cows at a faster rate than normal, thus allowing them to be slaughtered more quickly. However, these antibiotics stay in the meat, and thus are ingested by us when we eat the red meat that has been raised on a standard farm. The long term effects of these hormones in our food cannot be quite determined, although recent studies are suggesting all kinds of negative health effects. The antibiotics can also contaminate the groundwater because they stay in the bodies of the cows and in their manure. Avoiding these chemical cocktails seems like the best course of action to me.

Now in some cases I will eat red meat, but only in the instance when it is organic and grass-fed. These cows are raised without growth hormone or antibiotics and are kept as herbivores, which is what cows naturally are. Organic cattle are also raised on organic farms, which only use natural fertilizers to treat grass and other crop. So no additional chemicals are ingested by the cows and passed on to us. 

The best thing that can be done in order to sustainably enjoy red meat now and again is to know where you are getting it from. Local farmers all over are transparent in their practices and buying directly from them or from farmer's markets and co-ops is the best option. Otherwise make sure to look for a USDA Certified Organic marker on the meat, anything that says "all natural" or anything to that effect is not organic.  

How often do you eat red meat? Do you think that will change as the truth about standard farming practices becomes more evident? Vote below!