Ellen DeGeneres: Could this rancher please come on your show?
Written by: Amanda Radke
Originally published on BEEFmagazine.com. Used by permission.
Earlier this week, celebrity talk show host Ellen DeGeneres urged her fans to eat less meat.
In a heartfelt message, she told her social media followers, “Oh hi there. It’s Ellen DeGeneres here. I was scrolling through the Gram (Instagram), and I noticed that a lot of people are talking about eating less meat, which I think is a fantastic idea. It’s a great idea for the planet. It’s a great idea for your health. It’s a great idea for the animal’s health.
“So eat less meat, unless you’re a vegan and you don’t eat meat already, then good for you. You don’t even need to pay attention to this. But for the people who do eat meat, just try to eat less of it. Just maybe eat it, less, once a week, or none a week. If you eat it every night, don’t eat it every night. Eat it less than that. Four nights a week would be OK, but three or two nights or just one night a week would be best.
“Anyway, the point is it’s better for you and it’s better for the environment and for the animals. Eat less meat. #Eatlessmeat. Hey, be neat. No meat. Be neat. Eat less meat. #BeNeatEatLessMeat. #Byebye.”
Dear Ellen:
Hello! I’m a cattle rancher, beef lover, writer, wife and mom of three, and I would love a few minutes of your time to talk about your new #BeNeatEatLessMeat message on social media. I feel like there are some misconceptions about animal agriculture that I would really like to clear up, if given the chance.
Before I tackle some of these common myths about beef production, I would just like to tell you that I love how you approach life from a place of compassion, kindness and empathy. We definitely need fewer bullies and more friendliness in this world today, and I appreciate how you encourage everyone to do good. That message means a lot, so thank you for being you!
I, too, try to approach life from the same point of view. I believe in being kind, first and foremost. My faith in God, in humanity and in what the next generation has to offer our people and the planet is great! And my conscience is clear when it comes to consuming animal products, and please, let me explain why:
First, you mention that eating less meat is better for our health. I would contend the opposite.
A single 3-oz. serving of beef (173 calories) contains 10 essential nutrients, including about half your Daily Value of protein! To get the same 25 grams of protein that you can get from one serving of beef, you would need to consume 3 cups of quinoa (666 calories), 6.5 tbsp of peanut butter (613 calories), nearly 2 cups of black beans (379 calories) or more than 1 cup of edamame (249 calories).