Rabbit and hare meat are excellent sources of the B vitamins B12 and niacin. These vitamins help our bodies use energy from food, and are important for growth, healthy skin, hair, nerves, and muscles.

You might not have second thoughts about eating beef, pork, or chicken, but how do you feel about rabbit meat? Your response may vary depending on which country you live in. Rabbit meat was plentiful and served frequently in the United States until the mid-20th century. It’s still eaten in the U.S., though not nearly as much as in the past.

Do you want to learn how to cook rabbit meat? On one hand, these cute, fluffy animals are kept as pets, but on the other hand, rabbit meat is a sustainable, healthy source of protein that has kept people alive through dark periods of history like the Great Depression. Learn more about rabbit meat nutrition as well as safe handling practices in the following guide.

Can You Eat Rabbit Meat?
Rabbit meat is very safe to eat when cooked thoroughly in the same way that you might cook other animal meats. But people around the world have drastically different opinions on the topic of using rabbits for food — despite the fact that this small animal has nearly always been eaten by humans.

Animal rights activists, as well as everyday citizens, may be uncomfortable with eating rabbits because they’re kept as pets in many countries. In some areas, rabbits are treated better than in others: It’s better to raise them in groups because they’re social animals instead of in small, singular cages, but this can be expensive and unsustainable for smaller farms.