Meat Or No Meat: Tell Us What You Think And Why

From Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn at the Huffington Post

Eat meat or not? There is no other topic more heated, and more important when discussing food. Our food choices are not just about taste. They are influenced by and impact our health, culture, religion, ethics, economics, and the environment.

The Huffington Post Food Section would like to compile the best arguments on the subject, pro, con, or in between, and perhaps help some people decide. There are books on both sides of the issue, but we would like to see point and counterpoint side by side. We would also like to debunk some myths. Here's how we can do this together:

Have at it in the comments below. Take your best shots. Compose your comments carefully and thoughtfully. Make your case. Back up your statements with facts and references. We know this is an emotional issue and some people are religious in their fervor. But please show respect for opposing viewpoints. Look for solutions and middle ground.

I will copy the best arguments and paste them here in the main article, for all to see and for all to use in continuing the debate. I will also select a co-author from among the vegetarians and vegans who comment below to assist me in the process to make sure my preferences do not color the debate.

Full disclosure: I run a popular website about barbecue, AmazingRibs.com, with both meat and meatless recipes. I eat meat about five nights a week, rarely at lunch, and never for breakfast.

I have read extensively on the subject of meat pro and con. I was blown away by the powerful arguments against meat in Jonathan Safran Foer's landmark book "Eating Animals". Then I read Lierre Kieth's compelling "The Vegetarian Myth". The middle ground is staked out profoundly by Michael Pollan in "The Omnivore's Dilemma", probably the most important book about food since Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" drew back the curtain on the Chicago stockyards in 1906.

I shall try to be fair and open minded in my selection of arguments to elevate to the main article. If I'm not, I'm sure you will let me know.

Follow Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ribguy