Against Meat Analysis

During the late weeks of every November comes a time for celebration with our families, friends and the mouth watering smell of fresh turkey, comforting warm mashed potatoes and gravy. And of course sweet home baked pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving is an example of an event that serves as much more than just nutrients to our bodies, but also a time to nourish the hearts of our close loved ones. Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One such way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets. This popular and
It begins with my mother, grandmother, and aunts that come together and begin brewing the conversations of their lives since they last prepared a meal together. This time includes laughing, gossiping, reminiscing and of course tasting the ingredients that make up the dishes we later sit down to enjoy as a family. Jonathan Safran Foer quotes this perfectly in his article Against Meat, “ the story of her relationship to food holds all of the other stories that could be told about her. Food, for her, is not food. It is terror, dignity, gratitude, vengeance, joy, humiliation, religion, history and, of course, love. It was as if the fruits she always offered us were picked from the destroyed branches of our family tree.”(Safran Foer, Against Meat). Jonathan Safran Foer describes the purpose of food for his grandmother to help show the reader that food is much more than just the nutrients that are going into her bodies, that food for her serves as much more; for his grandmother food carries baggage, sadness, memories of the past, and also a constant need to always have food on hand. Although the author is aware that the carrots and chicken his grandmother had cooked for his brother and him served as nutrients to their bodies, he also describes that the same dishes helped mold relationships and bonds. Food including meat brings friends and family members together
We don’t hurt family members. We don’t hurt friends or strangers. We don’t even hurt upholstered furniture.”(Safran Foer, Against Meat). Safran Foer uses this example from his childhood to lead readers to the conclusion that by eating meat we are in fact harming animals. He makes the assumption that because people choose to eat meat that they are somehow choosing to harm animals. When in all reality the person eating the hamburger or chicken breast in fact did not have any sort of contact with the animal before the animal was cooked and prepared. I do agree with the author and his belief that harming animals is inhumane, but if we are given the choice to buy and consume meat that is organically raised we are in fact not harming the animals. According to the USDA organic regulations animals are allowed year-round access to the outdoor, raised on certified organic land meeting all organic crop production standards, and raised per animal health and welfare standards. The animals are fed 100 percent certified organic feed, except for trace minerals and vitamins used to meet the animal’s nutritional requirements, managed without antibiotics, added growth hormones, mammalian or avian byproducts, or other prohibited feed ingredients. Safran Foer does not successfully convince readers that being a