Kosher Food: Alternative Conscious Eating Solution for Meat Eaters

We all try to be aware of the impact we have on the world around us, and try to make decisions that are beneficial to the planet and mankind as a whole. It can be hard to determine how best to do that, especially when it comes to eating. We have so many difficult choices to make in the arena of healthy, humane food~ and several options to go with. Most people who spend very much time thinking about it end up going either vegetarian or vegan, but what if you have reasons for not being able, or willing to take either of those routes?

Doctors have often argued whether or not a veggie lifestyle was 'good for' the body, and most arrive at the conclusion that exclusion of any food group is not entirely beneficial. While it seems far fetched, there are indeed people whose health would be horribly affected by an all vegetable diet, and must therefore consume meat products of some kind, but when their conscience is at odds with their body what can they do then? Go Kosher!

For non-Jewish people Kosher is usually something of a mysterious term. Often people believe that the process of 'making' food Kosher essentially consists of prayers or blessings being placed upon it by a Rabbi. In fact food can be deemed to be Kosher without the involvement of any prayers or rituals in the usual sense, and the processes that it goes through to get there create a healthier more humane option for those of which who still desire to eat meat.

In order for meat to be deemed kosher there are a strict set of guidelines that must be followed in the production, slaughter and packaging of the meat. You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the benefits of Kosher foods, especially meats. People who worry about the cruelty of meat can set their minds at ease knowing that before meat can be certified Kosher it undergoes a rigorous process of testing to be certain that the animal has had no illness and has been raised in a decent and humane way.

The slaughter itself is performed in one quick stroke with a knife that has been examined to be sure it is sharp and free of nicks to limit pain. There is even an extra standard to ensure that the health of the animal has been rigorously attended to: A further step in looking for kosher foods is to ensure that meat bear not only a statement that it is Kosher, but GLATT Kosher.

Glatt kosher means that the internal organs of the animal, particularly the lungs have been checked for smoothness and signs of previous or current illness. Animal rights activists can appreciate that this assures the purchaser that the meat has not been cruelly treated, as is the case with packaged meat usually, and also that the livestock was not sick at the time of purchase.

Kosher meat can provide a benefit to those who worry about food borne illness as well. Unlike in typical meat processing where feces and urine can enter into the meat due to outright contact, Kosher meat is kept clean and cuts are kept separated and over seen at all parts of the process to ensure no contamination happens.

While, of course, Kosher foods can be hard to find depending on where you live, and some foods you won't be able to have Kosher (such as pork and shellfish). this can be a viable solution for the person who really wants to separate themselves and guard their bodies from foods that are processed in the inhumane and ...let's face it, unsanitary methods used today.

Kosher is a strict eating law for Jewish people who keep Kosher, but for the rest of us it can be a rather flexible way to ensure that we are eating according to our conscience. For instance a person with no religious dictate against shellfish, can have a reasonable cruelty free and varied diet, by choosing Kosher where possible and wild caught where not possible.