In 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that Americans ate an average of 52.3 pounds of beef, 57.4 pounds of chicken and 43.5 pounds of pork per person. person. (quote?) Only 5% of Americans are vegetarian and with so much meat consumed by Americans, in just one year, why should you be forced to become vegetarian? Since meat is the main staple of the American diet, there is no reason for us to have it at the table. This fact alone shows that most Americans' diets consist of meat. According to the United States Census Bureau (USCB), the U.S. population was 313.8 million; meaning that 16 billion pounds of beef, 18 billion pounds of chicken, and 13 billion pounds of pork were consumed by Americans alone in one year. People should eat meat like they have for 2.3 million years. Meat consumption has been an essential part of the human diet throughout human history. Ever since our ancestors discovered meat, we've been eating it ever since. This has benefited the human body in many ways beyond simply satisfying hunger. It has inspired evolutionary improvements to our teeth, jaws, mouths, insides, brains, and even the tools we use every day. These changes are interconnected and thus have made our body more efficient as a whole. It started with the change in our gut. Now that humans had meat to eat, our stomachs and intestines were smaller, because we no longer needed a huge food processor. With this change, it gave our body more energy so that we could exert more energy to build a bigger and stronger brain. This made our ancestors smarter and led to the invention of the many tools we use every day. An example of one of these tools is the grinder. Your t...... middle of paper ......org" ProCon.org. April 16, 2014. Web. May 19, 2014. .United States Department of Commerce. "USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau . "USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. US Census Bureau, March 27, 2014. Web. May 17, 2014. "Fact: Meat Is Good For You." OpposingViews.com. Opposing Views, September 26, 2008. Web. May 19, 2014. .Mitchell, Peter. “Bad effects of vegetarianism on pregnancy.” LIVESTRONG.COM, February 25, 2014. Web. May 19, 2014. .Chirkova, Yelena “Vegetarianism is a mortal danger for pregnant women. "English Pravda.ru. Pravda.ru, November 18, 2009. Web. May 19 2014.