I like meat...Do you hate me?

Like Leigh Ann, I only started to think about my food choices when I started college. But even then, my thoughts about the foods I consumed were more related to concerns about healthy and vitality than concerns about the environment. An example of this would probably be my family's decision to have "Meatless Mondays" each week for about 2 months. We tried out this plan, not over concerns about the environment, but as an initiative to eat more vegetables and get healthier I assume. I don't think it was a very popular move and we went back to eating meat.

If the vegetarian diet works for you, that's great. And if the vegan diet works for you, I applaud you and your efforts. I think a lot of us make choices about the foods we eat based on dietary or health concerns. For me, I don't remember when a great deal of people were becoming aware or concerned about their food and the impact on the environment. It may sound awful or it may sound selfish, but I don't think I could give up meat. Why? Steak, burgers, fried chicken, etc...I'm not sure if you need more of a reason that that. Granted, it's not the most academic or sophisticated answer, but I'm only being honest.

I do care about the environment, but at the same time I'm sure a lot of people may feel the same way I do. We cut corners and do other things for the environment in different ways and at different times. There should be a compromise along the way right?

I ate meat every day last week for dinner. My guess is that it had the most impact on the environment over anything else I ate. Like Leigh Ann, I remember reading something about the amount of grains needed to feed the animals that we consume. If I remember correctly, the level of energy is reduced as we go up the food chain and it becomes less efficient to eat chicken than plants or vegetables.