Reason #1: It's the number 1 most effective action you can take against Animal cruelty. Over 50 billion animals are slaughtered every year in the world (excluding seafood) in order to serve the public meat and animal products. But what's the harm in drinking milk and eating eggs? These animals are treated as nothing more than expendable economic commodities, and are discarded (i.e. slaughtered) as soon as their production values start to dip.
Reason #2: It's better for your health. No, let me rephrase that: It's a LOT better for your health. Numerous medical studies have come to the conclusion that a adopting a plant-based diet is one of the best things you can do to avoid a myriad of diseases later in life, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, among others. Meat, dairy, and eggs are loaded with saturated animal fat and cholesterol, neither of which you should have even in moderation. All the essential nutrients you need can be found in plant foods. By making the switch to vegan, you are taking a big step to living a longer and healthier life.
Reason #3: Going vegan means going green. If helping the environment is your thing, look no further. Factory farming is by far the leading contributor to CO2 emissions, which is the leading contributor to global warming. In addition, over 70% of grains grown in the U.S., such as corn, wheat, oats, and soy, are fed to livestock. That's a huge waste of resources. "Fun" fact: One acre of land can produce 20,000 pounds of potatoes. Pounds of beef? 165.
Reason #4: Help feed the hungry. As mentioned above, using most of our land to grow food for livestock is wasteful. But you can also make the argument that it's cruel as well. If we took even a fraction of the land grown for animal feed, we could adequately feed over a hundred million starving human beings.
Reason #5: Tofu is a lot cheaper than steak.
Reason #6: Slim down while improving energy. A low-fat vegan diet is proven to help you lose weight, and veggies are, on average, about 20 pounds lighter than their meat-eating counterparts.
Reason #7: The food is delicious! Really, it is. If you're sad because you think you'll have to give up hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and mac and cheese, you should know that the demand for vegan substitutes is exploding. From soy chocolate ice cream to swiss "cheese", truly the options are endless.
Reason #8: Save time. Don't like to cook? No problem. Vegan meals take much quicker to prepare and cook. Most meals can be made and eaten in less than 30 minutes, and you never need to worry about undercooking your vegetables.
Reason #9: Do you love being the butt of ridicule? Well here's your chance to be the best of the best! To turn any fun, relaxing dinner party into a full-on attack on your values and lifestyle choices, simply announce that you're a vegan. Haha, ok, I'm only kidding about this one. Well, half kidding. : )
