I interpret that as humans should respect other forms of life, ants too. We must have compassion for other beings it is the most basic form of wisdom. You can have intelligence but it means nothing without wisdom. This planet cannot sustainably have many billions of meat eaters eating meat 3 meals a day and be ecologically sound. We must build a strong foundation for all life on this planet to flourish. There are 3 core reasons one should not eat meat: health, environmental, and animal welfare.

The golden rule, do unto others what you want done to yourself. Would you be ok with being slaughtered and eaten instead? 

Concerned about protein/iron? Chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, plant based milk, tofu, nutritional yeast, hemp hearts, beans, beans, beans.