Meat: The Nutritional and Moral Debate

A piece of meat is central to the definition of a proper meal for most Europeans and N. Americans. And it is an important source of high-quality protein in their diet. It supplies many of the amino acids required by the human body for good health. It is also a good source of iron (see minerals), vitamin A, and some B vitamins (see vitamins).

A less desirable component of the diet which is also supplied by meat is fat, especially saturated fatty acids (see fats and oils), present in relatively high proportions in red meats. Neither cutting visible fat off the meat nor breeding very lean animals are entirely satisfactory responses, since the fat makes a valuable contribution to flavour and texture. The answer would seem to be to eat less meat generally.