Chewing The Cud

There are two choices at my school lunch: healthy and unhealthy.

The unhealthy line dubbed "The Express" offers personal Domino's pizzas, French fries, cookies, pretzels and cheese, nachos, Pop Tarts, and cappuccinos.

The healthy line is the actual lunch offered by the school program offering things like: stir fry, casseroles, burgers, potato bar, vegetables, fruits, and even a salad bar.

The unhealthy vending machine has the usual pops, juices, candy bars, chips, and crackers.

The healthy vending machine offers delicious dairy and beef products like milk, yogurt, string cheese, and beef sticks.

At my school, we were offered open campus our sophomore year. The half hour allotted to us gave us enough time to drive through McDonald's, Arby's, Burger King, or Taco John's. We also could go for some "home cooking" at a local grocery store.

You might think that ALL high school students would pick the fast food restaurants or the junk food in the Express line at school. However, you might be surprised to find that most of my senior friends and I stayed at school and opted for the healthier school lunch program choice. It was by far cheaper, offered a wider array of foods, and very convenient. It's not disgusting, not gross, and definitely shows that school lunch programs have improved over the years.

The Newton Bee has recently reported on a segment that Good Morning America is previewing to emphasize the influence Eric Schlosser's book has on American Teens. The summary of this article shows what students choose to buy with $10 after reading the book compared to the food choices made by the students who hadn't read the book.

Interestingly enough, students stayed clear of the golden arches of McDonald's and chose a more vegetarian based meal in response to his new fictional novel. Even more interesting was how they influenced the teens who hadn't read the book to choose their foods more wisely. Many were the most disturbed about the false accusations made about the beef industry.

This is almost too much to bear. I wish I could slap Schlosser silly for putting the great agricultural industry in such a horrible light. Additionally, I wish I could reach those students to tell them the TRUE facts about our beef industry.

How scary is this: "One of the students, Nathan, will stop and think before he orders meat at a fast food place. "I read in the book that they feed cows leftover cow pieces from other dead cows and the slaughterhouses are really cruel. It's pretty gross."

This is an absolute crime for a student to think this way. In 1997, we banned bones and blood from ever entering feed for cattlle. This is our number one insurance that BSE will not reach cattle born after 1997. This is our most prized safeguard, and it is a valuable tool to ensure a safe industry.

Alright, Mr. Schlosser. Let's get to the bottom of this, once and for all. Every tactic used in this chapter titled, Meat, from "Chew on This", was used to warm hearts, shock, repulse, and create vegetarians out of the entire nation. Well, it's not going to work. Let me tell all of you how we really treat our livestock.

I raise cattle of my own. Each year I have two steers that I feed grain and hay twice a day, I tend to them when they are sick or off feed, I weigh them in to monitor their process, and I show them in 4-H and FFA to compete against other students with the same passion for the beef industry. At the end of every summer, I have to take my beloved steers to the meat locker. Teary-eyed I say my final good-bye to my summertime pals. You might think that sending your pets to their death would make one never eat beef again, but I know that they will be treated well, and I also know that they will be gracing the tables of many in a nutrient-dense meal that is healthy for all. It is simply a fact of life on the farm, and I want all of you to understand why it is okay to let go and accept these methods. Believe me when I say that this isn't just my feeling alone: there are 800,000 cattlemen in the United States who raise 94.9 million cattle in our country, and consumers confidently spend $16 billion dollars each year on beef, the most beloved food in America.

I would like to introduce all of you to the many programs we follow in the beef industry to maintain optimal health of our cattle and ensure a safe, wholesome product for all people to enjoy and love.

The chapter, Big, from "Chew on This", was absolutely ridiculous. It would be so easy to fall for every little trick used in this chapter to disgust, repulse, and pretty much blame the entire obesity epidemic on the fast food industry. Give me a break. That would be like saying that guns kill people. Noooooo, people kill people just like people feed people. The fast food industry has come a long way in providing a healthier menu, educating the public on nutritional information, and promoting a better lifestyle. Here are some examples:

• Apple dippers, apple juice, milk, and salads have become a huge marketing tool to appeal to health conscious citizens.


• Selling products like pilates and yoga cds to go along with their new salads promotes exercise as a perfect companion to better eating.


• Nutritional information on every item on their menu is available upon request to help people make smart choices about what they are eating.


• New advertisements promoting their healthy items and healthy living show that McDonald's really does care about the quality of life of their customers.

In the history of our American beef, we have had 3 cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This disease is a fatal neurological disease that was first recognized in 1986. Should we be panicking that this disease will enter our food supply? Absolutely not. In fact, today's beef is safer today than ever before.

BSE spreads through feed containing ruminant derived meat and bone meal. However, this feed was banned in the United States in 1997. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration reports 99% compliance with the feed ban, and the United States Department of Agriculture strengthened the program by banning all non-ambulatory (unable to walk or showing signs of a neurological disease) cattle from entering our food supply.

Not only can we be confident in the safety of our beef, but we can also get excited about its health benefits. There are now 29 cuts of beef that are considered lean for a healthy diet. A 3 ounce serving of beef contributes less than 10% of calories to a 2,000 calorie diet, yet it supplies more than 10% of the daily value of protein (50%), zinc (39%), and iron (37%).

So now that I've read this book, Chew On This, I'll admit that I am more conscious about my food choices, and I am more aware of how big businesses run our country, but I am as confident in my stance as ever: American beef producers put their heart and souls into providing a safe, healthy, and delicious product for consumers. Even in the depths of slander from a book like this, the truth of the matter is that, yes, BEEF IS STILL WHAT"S FOR DINNER!