Why Meat Matters?
Why does the author describe meat as so hard to give up?
Because meat is emotional, cultural, and tied to comfort, nostalgia, and tradition.
What percentage of global emissions come from livestock?
About 15%.
Name one popular plant-based meat brand mentioned in the chapter.
Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat.
What main question does the introduction of Meat Hooked ask?
“Why does meat matter so much today?”
What major workplace issue exists in meatpacking plants?
Unsafe and dangerous working conditions.
Which pandemic increased demand for plant-based foods?
COVID-19
What two things make meat important on a global scale?
Its nutritional role and its cultural significance.
How much of a cow becomes edible meat?
Only about half.
Which major meat companies now invest in meat alternatives?
Tyson Foods and Cargill.
Despite trying to quit, what does the author compare meat to?
“To an old sweetheart I can’t quit.”
Why is modern meat production considered inefficient?
It requires huge amounts of land, water, and feed to grow whole animals, even the parts humans don’t eat.
What ingredient makes the Impossible Burger taste like it “bleeds”?
Heme (made using engineered yeast).
What contradiction does the author struggle with?
Loving meat but knowing its environmental and ethical consequences.
What student argument made the author rethink their meat consumption?
That even eating meat occasionally supports cruelty in the industry.
Why are plant-based meats called “gateway foods”?
They help consumers transition toward non-animal proteins like cultured meat.