By Matt Reigle

Copyright outkick

I’m always interested in studies that decry meat-eating and extol the virtues of veganism, because I’m fascinated that some scientists poll a small number of people in hopes of proving that mankind has been eating incorrectly for millennia. Never mind that early man, who acted solely on instinct, hunted meat, or that humans have incisors and canine teeth like pretty much every other meat-eating mammal. Some researchers tried to crack the code on why men want to eat meat. They want to know if dudes are afraid that not eating meat makes them less manly. *Sigh* …alright, another one of these. According to The Conversation, researchers at the University of Bath talked to 1,000 men in the United Kingdom — with a sample like that, you know this study is bulletproof — and they wanted to see if there was a link between gender and meat consumption. “There are lots of good reasons not to eat meat or dairy products,” the study’s author, Dr. Annayah Prosser, said. “It might be for your health or for the sake of the environment. Or you might have moral concerns about consuming animals. Yet many of us continue to eat meat, especially men, who eat more of it than women, and are less likely to opt for a vegetarian or vegan diet.” I mean, anecdotally, I’d say that more women steer clear of meat more than fellas do, but I don’t think it’s out of masculinity concerns. I think it goes back to that caveman brain. I mean, why else would I want to stand over a hot smoker for 8 hours on the Fourth of July just so I can eat a pulled pork sandwich? That’s not a manliness thing. Hell, I don’t even think that’s a smart thing in summer heat. It’s just that meat and fire tapping into that prehistoric part of your brain. I have an insatiable urge to do it. Even Doc Prosser noted this. “Does the mindset of the prehistoric caveman hunter live on in today’s restaurants and weekend barbecues?” Dr. Prosser wrote. Are there some dudes that won’t touch certain foods because they’re afraid they’re too feminine? Sure, but that’s on an individual basis. I also think it has a lot to do with vegan alternatives just not cutting the proverbial mustard. I’d love to enjoy eating like a vegan, because I’ve never seen someone who ate that clean and thought, “Man, what a tub of lard.” I tried to eat a more vegetarian/vegan diet for health reasons a while back, and I just couldn’t do it. I would lie in bed and think about the sound a steak makes when you throw it on a hot grill. TSSSsssssssssss. Beautiful. I think it’s a ridiculous notion, but I was apparently not alone. “More often than not, men were reluctant to talk about the role of gender in meat consumption, or completely rejected the notion that there was any link,” the article reads. The only food I will agree that dudes steer clear of out of fear of having their man card revoked is quiche. It’s delicious, but there’s just something about it. Personally, I have a theory that we could get more dudes on the quiche bandwagon if we just changed the name. Personally, I think we should call it “Omelet Pie.” Problem solved.