Yes, we need protein but not necessarily animal protein. Not all animals eaten graze.
We are not carnivores. We lack incisors. Besides the rest of our teeth are grinders and our mouths work differently to those of carnivorous species. Our jaws move from side to side unlike the huge majority of carnivores. Ours are more like herbivore teeth than carnivore teeth, that is certain. But it’s silly really even to enter into this debate. We aren’t governed by our teeth. We’ve brains and can choose. Our bodies clearly don’t need meat and so it becomes a lifestyle choice. I choose not to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on other animals because I like a particular taste. For me, avoiding that cruelty is the right thing to do.
Plants almost certainly don’t feel pain. Other animals have brains and central nervous systems like humans and the react to pain stimulants like humans do. There’s much less evidence plants feel pain. This far-fetched argument also fails to recognise all the grasses those grazing animals eat before their slaughter. If you are concerned about minimising pain and suffering, this needs consideration.
