Back to Articles

Reconsidering My Meat-Eating Legacy

How raising my son has led me to question my cultural traditions.

Published June 16, 2022

Comment

Francisco Goya

I’ve never held more influence over someone than I do over my son. I’m far from perfect and it’s disquieting to consider that everything I model will be absorbed.

One night at the dinner table last summer, I realized my son would be a vegetarian if I stayed out of the way — to his, and everyone else’s benefit — but I was absolutely in the way. I barked at him the way my father once barked at me when I showed empathy toward animals that didn’t fit with our traditions.

Log in, or become a member today.

Join in: enjoy 7 days free, plus 40% off your first year with access to 1,000+ highly vetted recipes from the How To Cook Everything series and beyond, essays from Mark, and original pieces from our contributors.

Join annually and save 40%
Log in to your account

GetBetterFasterHealthierSmarterTastier

in the Kitchen

Through our (more than a thousand, and growing) highly vetted recipes from the How to Cook Everything series, original food essays and reporting, thoughtful podcast conversations and introductions to new and responsible food products, we aim to showcase what’s possible, from farm to fork, and power a growing movement that encourages people to think about food not as a commodity, but as central to our health and happiness.

Start your free trial

We hope you join us on this journey. We’d love to have you as a part of the Bittman community. As a member, you'll have access to:

  • New recipes every week
  • 1000s of recipes from How to Cook Everything and beyond
  • First access to in-person events with Mark and Kate
  • Exclusive discounts from our favorite brands
  • Q&As with Mark and the team

 

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Join over 105,000 passionate individuals who receive our weekly emails. It’s 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime. Plus, we’ll email you a sampling of what premium members receive on a weekly basis.