Paul Shapiro is both an author and a successful businessman. Currently, he runs the Business for Good Podcast. He is also the CEO and co-founder of The Better Meat Co. Healthy eating and nutrition have been an important part of Shapiro’s work. He is the author of the book Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World. His work has been very influential in the health community. Paul Shapiro is an expert on meat and its consumption. Recently he wrote about how Americans are taking a surprising turn in the consumption of their meat. The number of animals killed for food has dropped by nearly 400 million in recent years. This decrease comes at the same time that the U.S. population continues to rise. This drop does not take into account animals in the water. Americans are also eating less fish. Fish consumption has decreased by more than ten percent in the last decade.

The reason people are not eating as much meat may be an even bigger surprise. Only about eight percent of Americans are vegetarians. The reduction of meat consumption seems to be coming from non-vegetarians. According to a Mintel study, about 22 million Americans call themselves vegetarians while more than 113 million people are eating meat alternatives. Major companies are paying attention to the trend. Companies like Wal-Mart, Kraft, and Johnny Rockets are offering vegan burgers and encouraging a meat-free diet. Fast-food giant Burger King has great success with the ‘impossible’ burger, a vegan form of the whopper that customers seem to love. Health concerns have also been instrumental in the movement away from meat. Cutting fat and cholesterol from their diet has been a major reason many people are eating less meat. While there are still many meat-eaters in the country, clearly things are beginning to shift.