The Diet of the Average American

You’re probably eating too much meat. Now, I know what you’re thinking – don’t worry, I’m not trying to push a vegetarian lifestyle on you. However, an average American eats over three times the global average amount of meat and consumes one and a half times the average protein requirement in a day, according to a 2010 report, and meat intake in Americans has increased even since then. Further, most Americans do not meet the daily recommendations for vegetable or fruit intake. We’re seeing a wide-spread excess in meat/protein consumption and deficiency in the nutrients provided by plants.

The Health Benefits of Eating Less Meat

High meat consumption is associated with a plethora of health risks. Meat products often contain environmental pollutants that are highly soluble in fat, meaning that they won’t be flushed out in waste but rather stored in the body fat; this increases health risks, specifically for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Studies have also shown that a quarter of the meat eaten by Americans consists of processed meats like bacon, deli meats, hot dogs or sausages. Processed meats are much higher in cholesterol and saturated fats, which increases the risk of heart disease, hypertension and cerebrovascular incidents where blood flow to the brain is disrupted; additionally, processed meats were classified as carcinogenic to humans, specifically in relation to colorectal cancer, by the cancer agency of the World Health Organization. In the same study, red meats were classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” There is also strong evidence that high red meat intake increases the risk of diverticulitis, inflammation in the colon, among men. Multiple studies have also noted a link between red meat consumption and ulcerative colitis (UC), which is contributed to by the interaction of meat heme and amino acids with the gut microbiome; those components are converted into toxins that increase risk for UC. 

Diets that rely on more plant-based foods, however, provide various benefits to human health. Focusing on grains, lentils, peas, nuts, beans, vegetables and fruits culminates in a diet that is much richer in vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. This helps support heart and digestive health, as well as disease prevention. Meat-based proteins lack the amount of fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants provided by plant-based proteins. That said, plant-based proteins are typically not complete proteins on their own, meaning they don’t contain all of the essential amino acids that your body needs to derive from food. As such, it is important to consume proteins from a wide variety of sources.

How to Make a Change

Making any big changes in your diet can be difficult, but you don’t have to make those changes all at once. A great first step may be to eat a meal with no meat once or twice a week. When eating plant-based proteins like beans, try to pair them with a whole grain like brown rice; this will provide the complete spectrum of amino acids that your body needs. Certain plant-based protein options do offer complete proteins completely on their own, such as tofu. These foods may seem overwhelming to prepare, but there are a lot of great resources online that outline easy ways to put together tasty dishes with no meat. Budget Bytes, for example, has great options listed for a variety of types of meals, and they’re all affordable. Alison Roman also keeps a list of unique dishes with no meat, which can be fun to make. Beyond Meat is a popular meat substitution brand, and their website includes recipes that teach you ways to prepare meat substitutes, if you’re interested in trying some of those out. There are many different ways to approach a meatless meal, and the internet is a wonderful resource for exploring them.

When you do eat meat, you may want to focus your consumption primarily around leaner meats, such as fish or poultry. Avoiding red meat outside of special occasions could be enormously beneficial, especially if eating entirely meatless meals is a struggle for you. You don’t have to completely cut anything out of your diet unless you want to, but being mindful about what you put on your plate now can make such a huge difference for your health down the line.

About a week ago, I was sitting on one of those red lawn chairs by Jewell Hall, just soaking in the sun, when I noticed something strange lying in the grass a few feet away, glittering in the bright midday light. I walked over and picked it up. Looking at it now, it seems to be a book or journal of some sort, written in a strange, hieroglyphic script which I have been working to decipher. Its cover is metal and has various buttons embedded in it, some of which make a strange beeping sound if I press them. As I began to read, I noticed the date on the inside front cover: January 26, 2961! Have I found an original document from the future? I can’t say for sure, but in the spirit of journalism I will share the contents of this book, and maybe one of you readers will be able to find out whether this could possibly be, indeed, a time traveler’s diary.

—

The research project has been approved. I am excited and honored to begin my dissertation studies by traveling to the ancient civilization of pre-Vorkopolik America, in the year 2026, to discover by experience the culture of its inhabitants and hopefully to conduct undercover exploration about their beliefs and customs. I have landed at what I believe to be the ancient city-state of Texas, and there seems to be some sort of religious celebration occurring which I have been observing for the past few hours. My list of observations grows steadily more unbelievable, but I swear I write nothing but the pure truth so help me Borg.

I was wearing my red, reflective antivirus suit which I had worried would cause the inhabitants some fear or confusion. However, as I walked into what, according to the signs, was the American Airlines center, the inhabitants seemed pleased and not at all offended by my hyperreflective outfit, instead uttering drawn-out grunts of some sort. One even offered me a ceremonial headpiece of the same color enscribed with the slogan to “Improve, Once More, America” or something like that. I did not get a chance to fully run text translation software. 

They all seemed to be headed to a specific area in the building, so I joined them. Following, I walked into a large amphitheater of some sort in the middle of what seemed to be a speech which I translated with my multi-language earpiece, although I believe it may have been malfunctioning, as I picked up audio of a very ugly old man attempting to bribe the Americanite people for their vote with a payment of $5,000 each should he win some sort of powerful title. If my calculator reports correctly, this would come to over $1.3 trillion, which in those days I believe was a lot of money although today Borg knows you can hardly get a tank of gas for less than $2 gongillion. Anyway, I began attempting to fix my translation headset as the speeches continued, but I continued to pick up fragments. I will have to confirm with the ship’s backup recordings, but I believe the same ugly man also stated that people who did not vote for him would be attending a place called “hell,” which after a brief jorblenet search I found to be a term for some sort of immortal torture location within the belief system of this civilization. To me, this seems like a harsh punishment, but I came to believe that these inhabitants thought of the ugly old man as their deity. There was little negative reaction to anything he told them, even when stating untruths such as that the area was “packed” (whereas from my calculations it seemed to be at a relatively low percentage of habitation. Perhaps “packed” is a piece of linguistic vernacular that my translator does not include and instead means something more like “a little more than half full or so”). 

The inhabitants also allowed themselves to be led in a sort of religious pact or oath, chanting that they respected the man as “the greatest President in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can’t breathe,” that they would “go out with … family and friends” and vote “if I’m registered or not. I’m going to try and cheat like hell.” This was surprising, because from what I had learned in Ancient History Seminar, cheating was generally a thing that the American peoples’ deity forbade, and so Americanites generally frowned on it unless it was conducted by the upper-class members of its caste system. I think I’ll have to take my translation software to the shop. 

After the event, I tried to ask some of the inhabitants what was going on. I believe there was some sort of virus spreading, though, because each person I asked responded with an exuberant “Trumpapalooza!” “Bless you,” I would respond. Good thing my reflective suit was also antibacterial. Switching tact, I tried to find out how each inhabitant ended up here. Surprisingly, I found that some of them had paid up to $20,000 (equivalent to approximately 3.8 squintillion in 2961 currency) to be there, while others had been given tickets for free or won them from lottery-style giveaways. Another sign pointing to this occurrence being of religious significance, as it includes an element of chance destining some to attend and some not to.

Having collected this fascinating research, I have begun preparations to return to my research academy. I believe that my dissertation thesis concerning religious practice in the ancient Americanite civilizations of the 1800-2300 period has been overall upheld by my immersion experience, although the technical difficulties were certainly annoying. In fact, as well as the potential issues with my translation software, I worry that the supply hold is loosening and will not latch properly. Hopefully nothing of value to my studies will fall out as I fly rapidly around the earth, attempting to gain enough velocity to shift back to the present day. Maybe in the future it will be more convenient to time travel. It’s so Borg-damn frustrating. 

Signing off,

Captain L. P. Exivor, Research Assistant for Prof. Broxiffle of the Ancient Studies Department, Ziglat State University.

This October 9th marks the beginning of the Harriman-Jewell Series’s 62nd Season. Founded in 1965 by William Jewell College professors Richard Harriman and Dean Dunham, the series brought the world’s finest performing arts to the Kansas City community. Now, over 6 decades after its founding, the Harriman Jewell Series continues the legacy of Richard Harriman with this year’s world-renowned lineup; Patrick Page, Les Arts Florissants, Wynton Marsalis, Lang Lang, Audra McDonald, and more. From the Baroque era to Broadway, piano to pirouettes, there’s something for everyone at one of this year’s twelve performances. Shows will be held in the historic Folly Theater and also Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 

One of the benefits of being a student at William Jewell College is access to free tickets for Harriman-Jewell Series events. To pick up tickets for these performances, stop by the Series Box Office in the Yates-Gill College Union, room 107B (right across from the cafeteria). Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see world-renowned performers in Kansas City’s most iconic venues for FREE! 

The William Jewell Choir Department will present four unique concerts for the Fall 2026 semester. The choral department is comprised of three ensembles directed by Dr. Lawrence Abernathy, Interim Director of Choral Studies, and in collaboration with Dr. Jessica Koebbe, Director of Keyboard Studies. 

The first performance will be Concert Choir’s presentation of “Jepthe,” an Oratorio written in the mid 17th Century by Italian composer Giacomo Carissimi. The concert will consist of this oratorio as well as other shorter period works. This Concert Choir performance will take place the evening of October 30th in Gano Chapel. The next performance, on November 14th, is the Choral Scholars’ concert entitled “Jewell Tones.” This concert will present various arrangements and staples of vocal jazz. The concert will be in collaboration with various instrumentalists, and includes an arrangement written by Prince Russel-Johnson, one of the Choral Scholars. The week following, on November 18th in Gano Chapel, will be the Cardinal Voices Fall Choral Concert. The concert will explore music from the American Gospel tradition, including Robert Ray’s “Gospel Mass,” composed in 1979. Lastly, Concert Choir will continue the annual tradition of performing at The City Come Again, held on December 14th at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City. Be sure to look out for more information on these four upcoming performances from the William Jewell Choirs—these are not performances to miss!