The Future of Protein

If you were to stop someone on the street and ask what they see as the future of protein, they may say the impossible burgers, tofu, or artificial meat. While society has trended more towards vegetarianism, it seems in the year following the pandemic this has drastically escalated. To examine the future of meat, we must first examine how we migrated to a different version of meat.

A Quick Glimpse of The Past

In the past, we started looking for ways to get calories quickly and turned to fallen animals to obtain sustenance. Eventually, we created tools and were able to hunt our own food which enabled us to quickly gain sustenance over what may have otherwise taken longer with plant-based substitutes. Our alternatives were not as calorie-dense, and with the addition of cooking the meat first, it became more of a delicacy. While in the past meat was scarce, we’ve now moved onto an abundance of protein options that are arguably much tastier than that of our ancestors.

The Present

As you’ve probably seen on almost all cooking shows, books, and recipes, meat has become a central part of our lives. A variety of different cuisines around the world make meat a central focus of their dish, and it can be prepared in an abundance of different and tasty ways. With all the discussion about meat in our everyday lives, it may seem a tad odd that more and more restaurants and local spots are now discussing the opportunity to have a meatless venue.

How Vegetarianism Started Taking Over

As we as a global society have seen a rise in activism, it makes sense that the next step is a move towards more of a vegetarian lifestyle. Peta notes a number of reasons to go vegan which we’ll quickly examine here in regards to bison:

It’s the Best Way to Help Animals: Peta alleges switching to a vegan lifestyle ultimately helps animals. In the case of bison, bison have actually been preserved in part because farmers like JJ Bison have taken care of them.
Slim Down and Become Energized: It’s no secret that vegans are often slimmer than their carnivore counterparts. While it’s not as low calories as strictly vegetables, bison does contain fewer calories than beef, so it is another option!
Be Healthier and Happier: Peta explains that since vegetables lack cholesterol and saturated fat, it’s much healthier than their meat counterpart. Fortunately, eating bison can be a great substitute for beef as it is much lower in cholesterol and saturated fat. It should be considered for those who are thinking of switching off red meat entirely.
Vegan Food Is Delicious: Peta explains that vegan food is quickly making its way into the mainstream with options. While we agree that there are plenty of options and alternatives to meat, it’s no lie that it’s hard to give up a crispy burger or thick cut of steak.
Meat Is Gross: Peta alleges that meat such as chicken nuggets is not great. We’ll have to agree to disagree on this topic as we love bison burgers, steaks, roasts, etc.
Help Feed the World: Peta says that if we bypass eating animals, the crops and water animals eat could instead go towards feeding people in need. Bison do alternate during the winter season, for instance, of a substitute diet, so we will always need to keep them in mind when it comes to farming.
Save the Planet: Peta claims meat production is wasteful and harmful to the environment. With alternating fields, using all of the bison when butchered, etc., JJ Bison is very conscious of the environment and we’re doing our best to ensure we have the best practices for a bison herd.
All the Cool Kids Are Doing It: While we agree that there are some cool vegans/vegetarians out there (and we’re friends with some ourselves), we feel this argument is a tad opinionated. We know a ton of fun people who have made the switch to bison and love it!
Look Sexy and Be Sexy: Peta says vegans have more energy than meat-eaters. While this may be true for someone who has a steady diet of beef, bison is quite different in the regards that it contains less fat, cholesterol, and calories, making it a heart-healthy alternative!
Pigs Are Smarter Than You Think: This argument is more directed at animal’s suffering. At JJ Bison, we do our best to keep our bison happy and healthy with large fields and treats such as organic apples.

To be clear, we’re not writing this blog post to debate the above points, and we do want to steer the conversation to more of why bison defies some of the typical arguments you may hear about going vegan.

Anti-Meat Campaigns

As you can see from the quick article synopsis above, veganism/vegetarianism has quickly started to dominate the conversation in today’s modern society. Companies and journalists have started several “anti-meat” campaigns such as, “The Animal-Protection Movement Is Everything That ‘Woke’ Activism Isn’t”. It’s no wonder this is happening as the rising demand for meat during the pandemic has made several consumers rethink their eating habits. People point to the fact that some animals, such as pigs or chickens, are often raised in a heavily dense population which in the past has led to some issues such as viruses. While these “anti-meat” campaigns often revolve around animals such as chickens or pigs, it is clear that due to these concerns, some people are moving away from meat in general.

How Do We Eat Healthy and Eat Meat?

As people start paying more attention to their diet, campaigns, awareness ads, and their grocery list, we are seeing a trend in young people moving more towards vegetarianism/veganism. That’s perfectly fine and we understand why this is happening for several of the reasons above. At JJ Bison, we raise our animals ethically and consistently keep the environment in mind when thinking of our farm. When thinking of farms in general and how to eat healthier while maintaining your current diet, we would suggest keeping to your local farms for sustenance. Supporting your local farms ensures you know what you’re buying, who you’re buying from, and can help a local business which will stimulate the economy.

So What is The Future of Protein?

Bison in particular is lower in calories, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than beef, chicken, and turkey, and almost the same as pork. If you’re ready to make the switch from meat to a more vegetarian diet, we urge you to try bison first to aid as a heart-healthy option.