The path to becoming a more conscious carnivore has become a publishing industry trendlet. This spring also saw the release of The Compassionate Carnivore: Or How To Keep Animals Happy, Save Old MacDonald's Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, And Still Eat Meat by Catherine Friend; and The Shameless Carnivore: A Manifesto For Meat Lovers by Scott Gold.

They address a topic taboo among carnivores. Many prefer not to dwell on the ethical and environmental implications of eating meat. But recent exposes about inhumane treatment of food animals have made it harder for them to put such thoughts aside.

'People are worried but they still want to eat meat,' says Roger Horowitz, author of Putting Meat On The American Table. 'So there's a great market opportunity for people to talk about what really happens when you eat meat and tell people that it's okay.'

The message in the books is: Carnivores should not feel guilty. Instead, they should celebrate their decision to eat meat by being conscientious about what they choose. As Gold writes in his book: 'For years, I've harboured this passion like some sort of dirty secret... Repeat after me: I am a carnivore and I'm ... proud of it.'

He then invites the reader on a take-no-prisoners adventure as he samples 31 animals - including guinea pig, goat, rattlesnake and bull - plus every cut and organ of a cow.

'To be a real carnivore, a true carnivore, you have to be conscientious and discerning,' he says. 'Eat good meat and source it well. Acknowledge where it comes from. And respect the fact that the animal died for your dinner.'

In her book, Friend writes about her life on a sheep farm and how to be an animal lover and animal eater. In a chapter titled Letter To The Lambs, she writes: 'Tomorrow morning, when we load you onto the trailer for your trip to the abattoir, we will be thinking about the life you've lived on this farm - running around the pasture at dusk, sleeping in the sun, and grazing enthusiastically for the tenderest bits of grass. We will say out loud, 'Thank you.''

'People who become complete vegetarians for the sake of animals are basically getting up from the table and leaving the room. Although they might work to help better animals' lives through their words, those words won't keep a sustainable farmer in business,' she writes. 'Flexitarians, vegetarians who eat meat occasionally, are remaining at the table. Carnivores who choose to go meatless now and then are remaining at the table.'

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