Have humans always eaten meat?
Created on: March 3, 2026
Last edited on: March 3, 2026
“Humans have always eaten meat - veganism destroys tradition.”
People who live vegan often hear accusations like this. At first glance, they sound plausible: if something has always been that way, it cannot be wrong… or can it? Let’s examine this objectively - historically, socially, and biologically.
History: Have humans always eaten meat?
In short: Yes, humans in many regions and time periods did eat meat - but not in the way we do today. Archaeological findings show that both plant and animal foods were consumed. The proportion of meat varied greatly depending on region, climate, and availability.
In the meantime, the context in which meat and other animal products are consumed has changed completely. Whereas obtaining food used to be difficult, in our modern world we can simply go to the supermarket. Animal abuse has developed into a global system that claims over 80 BILLION victims every year (not even including marine life!).
Let us briefly place this in an ethical context: Even a few individuals certainly did not die voluntarily for human nutrition. However, in the past, the trade-off was between animal lives and human survival. Today, the trade-off is between the mass killing of sentient beings and a few minutes of pleasure or adherence to traditions/habits.
“But only thanks to meat are we where we are today”
… some may now object. What is certain is that meat was part of human evolution. However, evolution is not proof of health. Evolution selects for reproductive success - not for long-term health. Eating meat clearly enabled our ancestors to reach reproductive age and have offspring. Everything that happens afterward is almost irrelevant from an evolutionary perspective. This state of knowledge does not allow any conclusion about whether or how we would have developed without meat.
A vivid example: Let us assume that for the next 10,000 years humans were to eat mostly fast food and still reproduce successfully. Future generations could then say, “Only thanks to fast food are we here.” Suddenly that sounds rather absurd, doesn’t it?
It becomes even clearer with another example: For a very long time, humans drank contaminated water. From this, one could construct three entirely different statements:
- We developed despite drinking contaminated water.
- We developed because we drank contaminated water.
- We developed while drinking contaminated water.
Only statement 3 is neutrally correct. The others are merely interpretations without further information and therefore logical fallacies. In the same way, it is a fallacy to claim that we developed because we ate meat.
➡️ In the FAQ “Is a vegan diet unnatural?” we also address the question “Are humans naturally meat-eaters?”
Society: Is tradition a good argument?
The assumption that something is automatically right or good simply because it has been done for a long time is a logical fallacy - the so called appeal to tradition. It is important to understand that tradition describes how something was, not whether it is reasonable today. The duration of a practice alone says nothing about its moral or scientific validity.
This becomes clear with a few simple examples. Many things were traditions for a long time:
- Criminalization of homosexuality
- Lack of women's rights
- Slavery
The fact that these practices are now widely rejected shows that societies are capable of leaving behind brutal and violent traditions.
Incidentally, veganism does not necessarily contradict tradition. It merely removes animal abuse from existing recipes. Traditional cuisines are primarily defined by spices, roasted flavors, herbs, and fats - not necessarily by meat or animal ingredients. That is precisely why classic dishes can often be veganized more easily than expected.
Biology: Do humans need meat to live?
The decisive question is not: Did we eat meat and other animal products in the past? The question is: Do we need them today? The current scientific evidence shows that a well planned vegan diet can be healthy and nutritionally adequate. Major professional organizations worldwide, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, confirm that a well planned vegan diet is possible, provided that vitamin B12 is reliably supplemented.
From a biological perspective, humans are opportunistic omnivores. We are not specialized and can consume both plant and animal foods. This means that the claim “Humans need meat” is incorrect. Biologically, we can eat meat, but we do not have to. This leaves open the possibility of choosing a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons.
Conclusion
Humans have historically eaten meat and other animal foods. However, this does not mean that animal products are necessary today or that consuming them is justified. From a biological perspective, we can live vegan.
The question of whether something was normal in the past distracts from the more important question: Under current conditions, is it reasonable, responsible, and necessary? If you ask yourself this question honestly, you move away from emotion and toward facts.
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