There has been an increase in the number of people around the world who would typically eat meat as part of their daily diet who have started to consider a plant-based way of eating. 

There could be a number of reasons that they choose to do so, and those include the fact that eating fewer animal products is better for our health and the environment in which we live. 

In spite of its challenges, there are many benefits of going vegan.

Here are some of the reasons that more and more people are choosing a plant-based lifestyle. 

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What Is a Vegan Diet? 

Veganism is primarily a diet that completely restricts the consumption of any food products that contain animal products. So that means no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. Some vegans will eat honey, but others will argue that honey is an animal product. Many vegans will not wear clothes that come from animals such as silk, wool or leather and not buy down-filled pillows or duvets due to the cruelty animals suffer as part of the production of these materials.

Another aspect of veganism is to be mindful of the cosmetics they use, being mindful of using only products that are made from plants and that are not tested on animals. Thankfully, this is made easier when products are clearly marked as vegan, indicating that they were tested on humans instead of animals, as well as ensuring that no animal products or byproducts were included in their recipes. 

Vegan Diets and Their Health Benefits 

Vegan diets focus primarily on plants such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, pulses, and legumes. With a diet rich in these products, its clear to see that the health benefits are plentiful. 

Most of these foods are full of fiber, essential nutrients and antioxidants which are extremely beneficial to the body. The lack of animal products means a decreased amount of saturated and trans fats, which in itself helps to reduce the risk of health problems usually associated with diets rich in animal products such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. 

Additionally, we’re most likely to discover that we’re lactose intolerant in our teenage years. Reducing or even eliminating the amount of dairy you consume will also help you to manage the symptoms without you having to drastically change your diet. 

Some may be concerned about a lack of protein from eliminating animal proteins from their diets, but there are plenty of delicious plant based sources of protein such as peas, beans, nuts and quinoa that are simple to include in your meals.  

Veganism and The Environment 

It’s a well-known fact that many people choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle due to its promotion of environmental sustainability. Diets that include meats and animal products are well-known for using more natural resources to produce food. Plant-based diets require only the land that the produce grows on. 

Whereas animals reared for meat use lots of the earth’s resources from water consumption, their food, and the production of harmful methane gases. The idea of breeding animals for meat, dairy and egg products is one that sits uncomfortably for some when they consider the pain and discomfort that they have to go through to be served as food. 

Vegan Diets are Easier Than Ever 

When you look back to several years ago, vegans who ate vegan food for animal welfare reasons rather than just the health impact were severely limited to what they could eat. Recipes that created good food would take a while to recreate, and on the whole, some of these niche ingredients were hard to come by. 

However, with supply and demand, more people switching over to a vegan lifestyle meant that food companies had to do what they could to meet the demand of people wishing to make the transition. More and more vegan foods have made their way onto grocery store shelves making it easier than ever to make the switch. 

Most products that contain meat, dairy, or eggs can now be made with alternative plant-based ingredients that don’t taste too dissimilar to those that do. 

There are many reasons that people have become more compelled to follow a vegan diet. For some people, it's so they can maintain a longer, healthier lifestyle. For others, it’s about making a difference to end animal cruelty, or for others it's for a mixture of the above reasons. Whatever the reason, there are clear benefits to going vegan that will positively impact generations to come. Whether you switch to 100% vegan or even make one small change per week, every little action counts towards the ending of animal suffering, the improvement of your health and the reduction of environmental impact.

Lots of love

Jenna