The Conscientious Carnivore: Navigating Ethical Meat-Eating

Seek Value
4 min readDec 10, 2023

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Meat-lovers, let’s have a heart-to-heart — no cheese included. Many people love a good sizzle on the grill, but let’s face it, navigating the ethics of meat-eating can be complex.

So, let’s cut through the fat and look at how you can indulge your carnivorous cravings while still being mindful of our four-legged friends. And don’t worry, I’ll spare you the bug-eating pitch — we’re sticking to the kind of protein that doesn’t wiggle.

  1. The Art of Leftovers: Reducing Waste In the world of meat-eating, leftovers are the unsung heroes. The best place to find these are at grocery liquidators.

In the US, approximately 19 billion pounds of meat get thrown away every year. We can help prevent waste by shopping at grocery liquidators such as “Mike’s Discount”. Picking up discounted meats that are near expiration will save the animal from a tragic end in the bin. Plus, it’s cost-effective — your wallet will thank you.

By purchasing from these discount stores, we do not trigger a restock at the factory farm. Our primary goal here is to reduce suffering, to reduce industrial farm supply. “Adopt, don’t shop”.

2. The Ethical Hunter-Gatherer: Sustainable hunting, particularly for maintaining balance in the ecosystem, is a great option for those with a taste for adventure and a respect for nature.

We all want a chance at freedom, a chance to win. Hunting gives our earthly companions a chance at a fair game. It’s about understanding and participating in the natural cycle, and hey, nothing beats the taste of success.

3. Pasture to Plate: Grass-Finished, and Pasture-Raised Meats.

I prefer ‘Grass-Finished,’ where cows live freely in their pastures among friends and family for their entire lives.

If you’re more of a “buy it, don’t hunt it” type, then grass-finished and pasture-raised is your ethical sweet spot. These animals have had a better life munching on greens under the sun, which probably makes for a happier meal on your plate.

The wording can be tricky here, Grass-Fed doesn’t always mean they were out in the pasture, but Grass-Finished does. The same goes for chickens, Free Range doesn’t mean they were in the Pasture, Pasture raised does.

Watch out for labeling gimmicks like “Cage Free”. There is a significant difference between Cage Free and Pasture Raised.

The Future is Now: Lab-Grown Meat
A pipe dream for ethical eating: actual meat, without the farms and the associated guilt. What once was a moon shot, now appears to be future of meat consumption, where technology meets tradition, minus the ethical dilemmas. The price is high now, but we can expect better deals by 2030.

Lab Grown Chicken

Note: we’re not talking about that viral spaghetti chicken — which is a actually a product of rapid growth in new age factory farming. I don’t know about you, but the lab grown variety actually appears much better than the monstrosity below!

The rise of spaghetti chicken is a result of bio-engineered chickens growing so fast that the meat becomes like spaghetti

The Uncomfortable Truth: Factory Farming let’s not beat around the bush: factory farming is the elephant in the room. Some aspects are so bad it’s hard to believe that it exists. But awareness is the first step towards change. We can all do our part, one meal at a time.

Conclusion: So, there you go — a no-nonsense guide for the meat lover with a conscience. It’s not about joining the vegan bandwagon; it’s about making informed choices that align with your love for meat and a heart for ethics. Let’s take cruelty off the table and raise our forks to responsible indulgence!

Thanks for taking part in ending animal cruelty!

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