By: Madeleine Mailloux
With all the perceptions surrounding veganism, it's no wonder that people shy away from the lifestyle. Surprisingly, there are many benefits of veganism, a lifestyle that transforms your health and your global impact. Giving up meat and other animal products such as dairy and eggs can reduce your carbon footprint more so than giving up cars. Not only is it ethical, veganism is also healthy. It can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
Cutting meat out of your diet will significantly reduce your water usage. According to the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, it takes 12.7 more gallons of water to produce 2 pounds of meat than it takes to produce 2 pounds of vegetables. It takes around 660 gallons of water to produce a quarter pound burger. According to Kip Anderson, producer and writer of What the Health?, a documentary on impacts of the agricultural industry on the environment, if you “add up all of the government’s recommendations for saving water, you save 47 gallons a day,” nothing compared to the 660 gallons you could save from cutting a burger out of your diet. With no regard for anything but profit, the livestock industry is ravaging resources.
A stanford news report detailed that the 1.7 million animals in the livestock industry occupy a whole quarter of the Earth’s land, and in turn, livestock is the leading cause of land and water pollution due to their methane emissions. Cows emit an estimated 25-50 gallons of methane a day through belching, releasing a gas that is 23 times more impactful towards global warming than carbon dioxide. Harold Mooney, co-editor of the report Livestock in a Changing Landscape claims "Without a change in current practices, the intensive increases in projected livestock production systems will double the current environmental burden and will contribute to large-scale ecosystem degradation unless appropriate measures are taken." By reducing your intake of any animal products including eggs and dairy, you can help reduce the pollution released into the environment.
The Earth’s supply of food is not endless. Particularly, the ocean’s supply of sustenance is quicky crumbling under the demand of the human population and the recklessness of harvest. National Geographic’s John Roach reports that seafood could disappear by 2048. This is due in part to pollution, which causes low-oxygen pockets of water called “dead zones” where fish cannot survive, and in part to bycatch. Bycatch is the accidental capture and kill of non-targeted species of fish during commercial fishing. Not only would reducing your fish consumption help to revive the diminishing ecosystems of the ocean, reducing meat consumption would as well. This is because, as aforementioned, water pollution, and livestock runoff are the leading causes of ocean pollution.
If that isn’t enough to convince you to consider veganism, consider the health benefits. According to Lap Tai Le, part of the Department of Nutrition, at the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, CA, simply going vegetarian can reduce your risk for overall-cancer by 8%, and decreases all-cause mortality by 10-20%. Additionally, a low-fat vegan diet can “ substantially mitigate the impacts of type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.”
Going vegan doesn’t have to be more expensive. Meat is one of the most expensive items at the grocery store, especially depending on the ‘quality’ you are buying. Fruits and vegetables are not as expensive. Consider meat, at around 5-8 dollars a pound, compared to beans, costing under 2 dollars on average.
The benefits being said, there are probably still questions or reservations you have about veganism: What will you eat? How will you stay healthy? In theory, with access to a plethora of fruits, veggies, and other foods, a completely plant based lifestyle is completely sustainable. However, chances are most people don’t have the access (or the money) or all types of vegetables under the sun. B12, Protein, Iron and Calcium are some of the biggest areas of concern for newcomers. As for B12, supplements can be found at your local drug or grocery store. Protein is also a very important aspect of nutrition. People need about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight a day, according to Harvard Health. That's upwards of at least 45 grams a day for most people. There are many vegan protein powders and supplements that you can find at a grocery store, but there are also many plant based protein sources. This includes peas, beans, nuts, seeds, soy products, and spirulina (a type of microalgae which is consumed due to its high nutritional value). In order to maintain iron levels, eating spinach once a day would help. If you are still Iron deficient, your doctor can help you find the right supplements. Fortified soy milk or orange juice, collard greens, oats, or fortified cereals can help you maintain calcium levels.
As for what you can eat, the list is endless, and many vegans will tell you that although it may seem scary, veganism reaps many rewards and it not nearly as difficult as you think it will be. Even if you are not willing to commit fully, reducing your meat consumption by half is still a great way to individually benefit yourself and the environment. Below is a list of food alternatives that will make being vegan easy!
Vegan Alternatives
- Instead of milk… soy milk
- Instead of chicken nuggets… Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
- Instead of butter… Earth Balance Buttery Spread
- Instead of ice cream… Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy Pints
- Instead of cheese… Daiya Mozzarella Spreads
Easy Snacks
- Almonds
- Pretzels and Hummus
- Clif Builder's Bar (good source of protein)
- Check any snack box ingredients to make sure they don’t include milk, eggs, or meat ingredients.
- Veggie Sushi
- Fresh Fruits from your local farmers markets
- Smoothies
- There are plenty of things that seem vegan, but aren't! Beware of…
- Sauces (like Worcestershire sauce). Sauces with an especially tangy flavor most likely contain anchovy paste.
- Dressings (like Greek Dressing). Many dressings with an oil base can still contain some cheese (like Feta) or anchovy paste in them. Dressings like Ranch and Caesar have cheese bases.
- Gummy candies. Many gummy candies contain gelatin, which is derived from animal bones. However, many gummy candies are vegan, like Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids. Marshmallows, Jello and Starbursts all contain gelatin.
Also beware of many soy or almond based cheeses. Although they are labeled as dairy free, many have casein added in them, which is used to provide a creamy taste but is a byproduct of milk.
Morningstar Products. Many of these products are labeled as plant based, but contain eggs or milk.
