Americans eat more meat than any other country in the world – according to New York Times food writer Mark Bittman, Americans eat 1/6th of the world’s meat supply, even though we have less than 1/20th of the world’s population. In much of the world, meat is a scarce luxury, but in America, meat (especially hamburger) is often used as a cheap convenience food.

However, despite America’s longtime love affair with meat, one of the most noticeable food trends of the past few years of the Recession is that Americans are eating less meat. In fact, Americans are projected to eat 12% less meat in 2012 than they did in 2007. A 12% drop in meat consumption in only five years is significant.

Here are a few reasons behind the trend toward less meat eating in America – and why eating less meat can be good for your physical and financial health:


Read the full post on 3 surprising reasons why eating less meat is good for your health (and wallet).