Meat Is Back, on Plates and in Politics

The New York Times ^ | April 18, 2025 | Updated 11:55 a.m. ET | Kim Severson

[E. Pluribus Unum]

After years in which “plant-based” was the mantra, meat once again dominates the national conversation about dinner.

Meat’s reputation has taken a pounding over the last few years. Blamed for poor health, implicated in climate change and attacked for cruelty to animals, it played the villain while plant-based burgers, grain bowls and four-star vegan dishes took their star turn.

No more. Meat has muscled its way back to the center of the plate.

Sales of beef, pork, lamb, poultry and other meat in the United States hit a record $104.6 billion last year, according to a March report by FMI, the nation’s largest food retail trade group, and the Meat Institute, the top meatpacking and processing trade organization.

On average, Americans ate nearly 7 percent more meat last year than before the pandemic, according to one report. And the number of consumers who said they were trying to eat less meat fell to 22 percent, the lowest level in at least five years.

The politics of the moment play a big part. With support from both the farm-to-table faithful on the left and self-described carnibros on the right — not to mention a Make America Healthy Again movement that lionizes beef tallow and hunting — meat has inspired a bipartisan potluck.

“The demonization of meat is over,” said Chris DuBois, a senior vice president at the market research company Circana. “Meat has huge tailwinds going, and honestly that’s a shock because for a long time all we talked about was headwinds.”

Inflation-weary couples are staging fancy steak nights at home. Fast-food restaurants are swapping seed oil for beef tallow. The salad chain Sweetgreen has added steak to its increasingly meaty menu. Riding...

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Local Kroger had Prime Rib roasts for $8 a pound, bought one. Yum Yum.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Never left our plates.

[Bayard]

All the terrifs prevent suppliers selling meat to China

[God luvs America]

Yup- just bought a prime rib roast and ham for Sunday....smoked a prime rib roast last Sunday and it came out great....

[Billthedrill]

Most of the earnest urgings by The Experts were for other people’s tables, not their own. Posting the menus at the Davos conferences has become hilarious.

[Zathras]

I guess the NYT and the WEF plan telling us to eat bugs has failed

[dp0622]

NEVER..but we did stock up on sales and buy somewhat lesser quality at times.

But Amazon Fresh had 25 dollar a pound steaks on sale for 8..probably close to expiration :)

We bought about 15!!

And other times went from porterhouse to sirloin :)

[stanne]

This Muslim rag publishes this on Good Friday

[FreedomPoster]

Right!?

That was exactly my reaction. I will be doing a nice prime rib Sunday afternoon. Sous vide for several hours followed by 10-15 minutes in a 450F convection oven. I need to get some fresh horseradish, forgot that when I was out Wednesday.

[allendale]

Forcing a child to be a vegetarian is child abuse.

[rellic]

I used to work with a Vegan. Rode his bike(10 speed) everywhere(un-repentant ecologist).
Lived what appeared from afar, a healthy life.
Did all the requisite yearly, semi annual
physicals. He was an arrogant “I’m better than anyone else ass”, he loved Democrats, and hated any concept of a God!
Merely because of his life choices, he deemed he was superior. He and I were born in the same year.
I eat what I want, drink what I want and although I grew up on a bike, these days I rarely ride one anymore.
He’s dead. Ten years now.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

He’s dead. Ten years now.

Saw that coming. 😁

[Sacajaweau]

Protein to the Max!!

[rellic]

I had an un-stated point. We all have only so many
years of human life. Don’t do stupid, but do the best you can to enjoy what years you have because, they are FINITE!
If you like Kale, and sprouts as a main dish fine, I prefer Lobster and Potatoes.

[FormerFRLurker]

Tariffs are meant to reduce imports, not exports.

[nickcarraway]

Does anyone see what the New York Times is doing?

They write their "pro-meat" article on Good Friday, a day when Christians would traditionally abstain from meat for religious reasons. So, this was a cheap shot at Christians.

[Maybe people can remember about 20 years, or so, ago, the NYT ran an article on Passover about how historians "just discovered" that there was no Moses, no Jews in Egypt, no first born sons, etc.]

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They write their "pro-meat" article on Good Friday, a day when Christians would traditionally abstain from meat for religious reasons.

Didn't even think of that.

[dznutz]

[Uncle Miltie]

Prime Ribeye 1.75” thick marinating for the grill tonight. Prolly over 1.5 pounds for the wife and me.

Roasted vegetables on the side.

99 Point Washington Syrah by K Vintners.

Life is good!

Suck it, vegans.