--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our demand for meat, dairy and refined…" description: "\"Our demand for meat, dairy and refined carbohydrates - the world consumes one billion cans or bottles of Coke a day - our demand for these things, not ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/mark-bittman-19157_billions_our-demand-for-meat-dairy-and-refined-ca_2669240.png" --- # Our demand for meat, dairy and refined carbohydrates - the… ![“Our demand for meat, dairy and refined carbohydrates - the world consumes one billion cans or bottles of Coke a day - our demand for these things, not our need, our want - drives us to consume way more calories than are good for us.” quote by Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/mark-bittman-19157_billions_our-demand-for-meat-dairy-and-refined-ca_2669240.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/mark-bittman-19157_billions_our-demand-for-meat-dairy-and-refined-ca_2669240.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/mark-bittman-19157_billions_our-demand-for-meat-dairy-and-refined-ca_2669240.png) > “Our demand for meat, dairy and refined carbohydrates - the world consumes one billion cans or bottles of Coke a day - our demand for these things, not our need, our want - drives us to consume way more calories than are good for us.” [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive demand for animal products and refined carbs drives over‑consumption, harming health and the planet. **In simple terms:** Overeating driven by cravings, not need. Key Takeaway Choose whole foods and moderate portions. Themes nutrition environment consumer behavior health Mood motivational concerned Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - meal planning - policy advocacy - personal dieting Key Concepts dietary science sustainability economics Questions to Reflect On - What small dietary change can you make? - How can you influence others toward healthier choices? A Different Perspective Changing habits can be socially challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Bottles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottles/) [Calories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calories/) [Carbohydrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbohydrates/) [Carbohydrates World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbohydrates-world-2489291/) [Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coke/) [Consumes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumes/) [Dairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dairy/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Demand Meat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand-meat-2489290/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Meat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meat/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Refined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refined/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Consumes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-consumes-388167/) ## Related quotes > [Few people sufficiently appreciate the colossal task of feeding a world of billions of omnivores who demand meat with their potatoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/few-people-sufficiently-appreciate-the-colossal-task-of-feeding-a/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Today farmers shift responsibility for their exploitation of animals to the general public, by speaking of 'consumer demand' for meat as if this technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-luke/today-farmers-shift-responsibility-for-their-exploitation-of-animals/) [Brian Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-luke/) > [In North America and Western Europe, ten percent of the population of the world consumes fifty percent of its energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-levi/in-north-america-and-western-europe-ten-percent-of-the-population-of/) [Yehuda Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-levi/) > [“I always thought that if I suffered enough in service of Art, if I laid down my life to please the world, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-gray/i-always-thought-that-if-i-suffered-enough-in-service-of-art-if-i-2/) [Amelia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-gray/) > [“I always thought that if I suffered enough in service of Art, if I laid down my life to please the world, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-gray/i-always-thought-that-if-i-suffered-enough-in-service-of-art-if-i/) [Amelia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-gray/) > [The current health crisis, however, is a little more the work of the evil empire. We were told, we were assured, that the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/the-current-health-crisis-however-is-a-little-more-the-work-of-the/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [“She consumes me with her eyes, her fiery touch, and the ways in which she loves me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-snyder/she-consumes-me-with-her-eyes-her-fiery-touch-and-the-ways-in-which/) [T.H. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-snyder/) > [That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/that-s-what-humanity-is-a-series-of-successes-and-failures-a-testing/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Fire consumes.' Lord Beric stood behind them, and there was something in his voice that silenced Thoros at once. 'It consumes, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/fire-consumes-lord-beric-stood-behind-them-and-there-was-something-in/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [I'm really not a person who consumes a lot. I don't have a sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/i-m-really-not-a-person-who-consumes-a-lot-i-don-t-have-a-sports-car/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [“Whatever is eating her brain consumes only the fresher memories, the unripe moments”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/whatever-is-eating-her-brain-consumes-only-the-fresher-memories-the/) [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) > [Music, music, music. It doesn't get much better than that! It pretty much consumes my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaggy/music-music-music-it-doesn-t-get-much-better-than-that-it-pretty-much/) [Shaggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaggy/) > [Love consumes us only in the measure of our self-surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-consumes-us-only-in-the-measure-of-our-self-surrender/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/man-is-the-only-creature-that-consumes-without-producing-he-does-not/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“She consumes me like a bright fire burning deep within my ribs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-diedrich/she-consumes-me-like-a-bright-fire-burning-deep-within-my-ribs/) [Kirk Diedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-diedrich/) ## More by Mark Bittman > [I live full-time in the world of omnivores, and I've never wanted to leave. But the Standard American Diet (yes, it's SAD) got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/i-live-full-time-in-the-world-of-omnivores-and-i-ve-never-wanted-to/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [Anyone can cook, and most everyone should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/anyone-can-cook-and-most-everyone-should/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [Junk food companies are acting very much like tobacco companies did 30 years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/junk-food-companies-are-acting-very-much-like-tobacco-companies-did/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [“All across Italy, as Parasecoli tells me, food is used to identify who is Italian and who is not. But dig a little deeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/all-across-italy-as-parasecoli-tells-me-food-is-used-to-identify-who/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [People need help to change the way they eat... this is what government is for in my opinion… We should make food an issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/people-need-help-to-change-the-way-they-eat-this-is-what-government/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [If price spikes don't change eating habits, perhaps the combination of deforestation, pollution, climate change, starvation, heart disease and animal cruelty will gradually encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/if-price-spikes-don-t-change-eating-habits-perhaps-the-combination-of/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [50-100 years from now we are all going to be eating a plant based diet. Whether that happens through a catastrophe or a peaceful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/50-100-years-from-now-we-are-all-going-to-be-eating-a-plant-based/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [We need to demonise soda, the way we've demonised cigarettes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/we-need-to-demonise-soda-the-way-we-ve-demonised-cigarettes/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [The truly healthy alternative to that chip is not a fake chip; it’s a carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/the-truly-healthy-alternative-to-that-chip-is-not-a-fake-chip-it-s-a/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [Thanks to farm subsidies, the fine collaboration between agribusiness and Congress, soy, corn and cattle became king. And chicken soon joined them on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/thanks-to-farm-subsidies-the-fine-collaboration-between-agribusiness/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [If you embrace moderation, eat whole foods instead of junk, live within your physical, monetary, and environmental budget rather than constantly exceeding it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/if-you-embrace-moderation-eat-whole-foods-instead-of-junk-live-within/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [If you're a progressive, if you're driving a Prius, or you're shopping green or you're looking for organic, you should probably be a semi-vegetarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/if-you-re-a-progressive-if-you-re-driving-a-prius-or-you-re-shopping/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [I got into cooking out of self-defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/i-got-into-cooking-out-of-self-defense/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [ “\[C\]onvenience is one of the two dirty words of American cooking, reflecting the part of our national character that is easily bored; the other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/c-onvenience-is-one-of-the-two-dirty-words-of-american-cooking/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [It's good to have a short memory because it keeps life fresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/it-s-good-to-have-a-short-memory-because-it-keeps-life-fresh/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) [Explore all 33 Mark Bittman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) ## More Billions quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The universe is simmering down, like a giant stew left to cook for four billion years. 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