Many things in one’s diets are beneficial when consumed in moderation. Meat is one of them.

By definition, meat has saturated fats which are solid at room temperature. Think lard or the grease you get off bacon when it dries and hardens, either plugging up your plumbing or your body’s arteries. The flipside is that meat is one of the easiest forms of protein for the human body to absorb and utilize, unlike plant proteins, a larger portion of which passes through the digestive system uneaten.

While omega-3 polyunsaturated fats from fish are healthier than omega-6 polyunsaturated fats from meat, the easily digested protein and vitamins in meat cannot be ignored. Or its delicious taste. Animals that have eaten more grass rather than grain have more omega-3, though the numbers still look weak compared to fish. But in moderation, meat can be a useful source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

I don’t embrace eating as much meat as possible. That’s a pretty unhealthy choice. You should make vegetables a much bigger part of your plate, along with some grains and fruits as sides or for dessert. Like meat, dairy is an important part of a well-rounded diet, but it should be consumed in moderation. Meat and dairy promoters are wrong in saying you should eat your fill. No, you should eat a healthy portion of it, not too much and not too little.

I totally understand why farmers are so eager to push meat and dairy consumption, trying to ramp up demand and inflate prices for their own profit. But seriously, is the answer really to persuade people to feast their way to terrible health? Come on now! What we really need is a surge in demand for premium meats and dairy products, especially the absolute healthiest ones available. And hey, if that means we have to pay a little extra and consume a bit less, then so be it!

We should also look at moving more marginal farmland out of production and using it for conservation and recreation purposes, which is all the more important with a growing population and sprawl. Meat and dairy are an important part of a working landscape, but the solution can’t be just to keep driving up demand by getting people to eat more and more unhealthy portions of it.