On today’s show, we’re playing Reducetarian True or False with Sarah Robb O’Hagan, the author of Extreme You: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat. Our subject? Brian Kateman’s The Reducetarian Solution: How the Surprisingly Simple Act of Reducing the Amount of Meat in Your Diet Can Transform Your Health and the Planet, which goes on the market April 18th, pulling together 70 essays and more than 40 recipes on how we can moderate our consumption of meat and fish. 

Listening along? Here are teaser tidbits from Brian’s book and the discussion on meat moderation we’ve got coming. And if you would have gotten these right, congratulations! You’ve got Extreme Sarah and Ben beat! 

Tune in next Monday, where we’ll grill Brian back on Sarah’s book!

True or False: The Reducetarian Edition

1) According to Kateman and his contributors, it will take individuals cutting their meat consumption by 20% to make a positive transformation on the health of their own diet, and the planet.

FALSE: It only takes 10% to transform the lives of animals, our bodies, and the planet.

2) Kateman says that, “Reducetarianism is an identity, a community, and a movement. It is composed of individuals who are committed to eating less meat—red meat, poultry, and seafood.” So True or False: According to Kateman, vegans and vegetarians are also reducetarians.

TRUE: “Reducetarianism is inclusive in that vegans and vegetarians are also reducetarians because they too have reduced their meat consumption… This new perspective provides everyone with a platform.”

3) TRUE OR FALSE: The book claims Christian principals support his argument for meat and seafood moderation.

TRUE: On pages 64-65 (where looking up “moderation” in the index sends you), author Karen Swallow Prior spells out Christianity’s complicated relationship to food. She quotes The Book of Proverbs addressing the eating of meat with “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,” as well as Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew and Old Testament instructions further flushed out in the Jewish Talmud for the proper way to slaughter and prepare meat.