All I have been seeing on the news and in my position at Urner Barry is increasing prices of protein. There don’t seem to be exceptions in any of the major commodities — prices are higher across the board. Of course, many are speculating as to the reasons behind this, but it’s safe to say that COVID, labor shortages, transportation costs, lessened supply, etc. are contributing factors. But another biggie is consumer demand.

I did a quick survey of friends, family and colleagues about how their habits have changed with regard to consumption of meat. Turns out, most of them have meat for at least one meal each day, and that change in price has not affected this frequency.

What some of them did say has changed is the type of meat. Some reported switching to dark meat chicken from mostly breast; others reported opting for more cost-effective cuts of red meat. One respondent said that they buy whatever is on sale and stick it in the freezer so that meat is accessible every day.

I decided to do a bit more reading on the topic. And boy did Google surprise me. As it turns out, younger generations are eating more meat than any other, with the highest concentration being in ages 18-24, according to the World Resources Institute. Even more shocking was that the same age groups cited agriculture as a large contributor to climate change and wanting to align dietary choices with this belief. Clearly their shopping and eating patterns do not jibe with this concept.

My first blog on this site was about the divisiveness between those who eat meat and those who choose not to. Eat and let eat, right? Coincidentally that first blog was about one year ago. And if I scroll down in my search results, articles about the same topic a year ago and even in 2020 mainly support that younger people were eating less meat.

So what happened? Well the answer is that I don’t know. But, I would like to take a guess. What is more comforting than chicken soup? Who doesn’t like to dive into a rich bowl of beef stew? What’s better than a barbeque with friends and family in the summer? Meat is more than a meal; it’s comfort and memories and tradition.

With more people working from home at least part of the time, there is more opportunity to share regular meals with family. After more than a year of distance from friends and non-nuclear family, more of us are prioritizing and savoring the opportunities we have to spend together. More often than not, those occasions include a shared meal. Vacations, travel, dining out — the frequency of these activities have changed drastically for many of us. But the desire to be together and to have consistent sources of comfort has grown more than ever.

Tonight I plan to sit at my dinner table with my husband and children to share a meal. That meal will include meat. But it will also include conversation, smiles and routine that makes life better for all of us. Dinners together are absolutely sacred in my home, along with breakfast on Sundays, which always include bacon or pork roll (I’m from New Jersey don’t come at me with that Taylor ham business). My desire to feed and care for my family and create lasting memories will always shape my shopping and eating habits. I have to wonder if the rest of the world is feeling the same way.

Savor the savory

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