Do We Really Smell Like That? Does Humanity Smell Like Meat?

"I realised it was humanity on that bus that smelled like meat."

This week we have a post from guest blogger, C.E. Schwilk. If you enjoy her writing head over to her Substack for more C.E. Schwilk

It’s been a long time (over 20 years), and the details are fuzzy, but I do remember that moment where I had stopped eating meat and noticed the smell.

It was early in the morning and I was going into work. I jumped on my bus and I could distinctly smell hamburger meat. It wasn’t someone with a fast-food bag with their hot breakfast. It didn’t smell raw, either, but almost like meat that had been sitting out for a while, like burgers at a BBQ picnic, if there weren’t any other smells to get in the way, concentrated. It wasn’t an awful smell - not rancid or in any way “off”, but just strange. Who was hiding hot burgers for their morning commute?

It all started with a bus journey

Does Humanity Smell Like Meat?

I sat down wondering where it was coming from, not bothered and getting slightly hungry. What was happening?

That’s when I realised it was humanity on that bus that smelled like meat. I’m pretty confident everyone on that bus ate meat - that’s just the American culture. Being that it was Portland, Oregon there may have been at least a vegetarian in the mix, but even then, it was more than likely not.

I’ve always heard “you are what you eat”, and here it was staring me in the face, or rather attacking my nostrils! Even when I resumed eating meat, I do remember another moment where I sniffed my own palms and realised I smelled like pepperoni. As fascinating as I had found it at the time, I also had that moment of cognitive dissonance where I wondered if I shouldn’t be smelling like that.

Do We Really Smell Like That?

My pathway to veganism was definitely long and meandering. Although I was plant-based for several years, I always came back to the convenience, the unconscious eating of animals, I’m ashamed to say. It’s easy to do when you are surrounded by it and no one bats an eyelash.

It’s different when you consciously make the choice not to eat animals, then the questions and worry come from friends and family. “Are you getting enough protein?” “You need meat for a balanced diet!” “I heard it’s not healthy to just eat vegetables.” “What about cow’s milk?” and many other misinformed - although sometimes well-meaning statements about what you’re doing.

The animals we eat are actually fed plants - mostly soy and grains - and you can get pretty much all your nutrients from plants, fruits, and grains. Animal protein isn’t necessary anymore - and it’s healthier to avoid animal fat, besides. Science has discovered this in multiple studies.

Veganism isn’t just about what you eat, but how you decide to treat all animals that exist in this world. Be kind. Factory farmed animals don’t have the choices we humans do. Consider going vegan - for the animals, for the planet, and for yourself.

Go down the rabbit hole…

Discover Magazine (June 2020): What Science Says About Health Benefits of Plant-Based Diets - What Science Says About the Health Benefits of Plant-Based Diets | Discover Magazine

Science Daily (May 2024): Two decades of studies suggest health benefits associated with plant-based diets - Two decades of studies suggest health benefits associated with plant-based diets | ScienceDaily

Stanford Medicine (Aug 2020): Plant-based meat lowers some cardiovascular risk factors compared with red meat, study finds - Plant-based meat lowers some cardiovascular risk factors compared with red meat, study finds

National Library of Medicine (May-June 2021): A Look at Plant-Based Diets - A Look at Plant-Based Diets - PMC

Science Direct (Mar 2023): The Environmental Sustainability of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns: A Scoping Review - The Environmental Sustainability of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns: A Scoping Review - ScienceDirect

National Library of Medicine (Jan 2023): The Impact of Vegan Diets on Indicators of Health in Dogs and Cats: A Systematic Review - Impact of Vegan Diets on Indicators of Health in Dogs and Cats: A Systematic Review - PMC

If you enjoyed this, you can read more from C.E. Schwilk on her Substack for more C.E. Schwilk

#Vegan #GoVegan #Plantbased #VegnBlog