Kenyans eat more meat than recommended — expert

Kenyan festivities always have two things in abundance: meat and alcohol.

While there is always a warning attached to the excessive consumption of alcohol, no warning is issued for the excessive consumption of meat.

World Animal Protection has launched a campaign for the next 30 days, to encourage Kenyans to partake in eating less meat, especially this festive season.

Dr Victor Yamo, the campaign manager for Animals in Farming at World Animal Protection, said Kenyans eat more meat than is recommended.

He said a lot of the proteins we eat are meat, though proteins also constitute plant proteins like beans, peas and other legumes.

“It is recommended that adults eat 0.8 grammes of protein per kilogramme of their body weight,” he said.

This means, if someone weighs 70 kilogrammes, then they would have to eat 0.8 grammes of that weight in meat or plant protein, which is roughly 56 grammes.

“For the ageing population, it is recommended they eat 1.2 grammes of protein while for athletes, 1.2 grammes to two grammes of protein per kilo of their weight, in a day,” he said.

As the world hit eight billion people in population on Tuesday, Dr Yamo said now more than ever, we should endeavor to eat less meat.

In a presentation on Thursday, Yamo said the more meat we eat, the more producers will work to sustain that demand.

He said many animals farmed for produce are kept in harmful environments that enhance cruelty, on top of contributing to greenhouse gas emissions that increase global warming and consequently, climate change.

“Meat should be eaten in moderation. Furthermore, we should eat meat that has passed through systems of high welfare. That means the animals are not treated with cruelty and are kept in good condition,” Yamo said.

He said although it may be difficult to decipher, which meat is cruelty-free, they hope to raise enough awareness among Kenyans to know that.