So…We Are Going Vegan
That’s right! Over the past couple of weeks, Sam and I have been doing some research about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and we are sold. We have been slowly phasing out all animal products from our house, and we don’t plan on buying any more! I wanted to write this post so that you may gain an understanding of our reasoning behind this decision. Also, don’t worry, the purpose of this blog is not to convert everyone I know to a plant-based diet. Hopefully, it will at least be educational for understanding some of the benefits of veganism, whether you choose to adopt it in your own life or not!
First things first, what does “vegan” and “plant-based” mean? Basically, if it comes from an animal, you don’t eat it, wear it, or use it! For example, meat, dairy, eggs, leather goods, fur etc. Does this mean I am going to throw away every leather bag I own and dump my milk-based coffee creamer down the drain? No! Moving forward, we are going to try our best to be conscious of what we are spending our money on, but we also are not going to waste products we have already purchased. Another thing to note, in my opinion, veganism can get very nit-picky, so when I say we are going “vegan,” maybe take that with a grain of salt. For example, we will still be eating honey and things that have traces of some obscure animal protein gelatin substances (oh yeah, that exists). Basically, we are going to generally to stay away from animal products, but we aren’t going to be picture-perfect vegans!
Now that we have that out of the way, you may be wondering why are we going vegan at all? Well, the answer comes in 3 parts, so buckle up!
The first reason is (surprise surprise) animal cruelty. We watched a documentary called “Dominion” (linked here but be warned, it contains some very graphic content) that thoroughly explained the meat and dairy industries in the Western world, and we were absolutely shocked. We had a vague idea that the conditions of large-scale farms were not ideal, but we had no clue how inhumane the treatment of these animals really is until we witnessed it in this film. I understand having sympathy for animals such as pigs, cows, and chickens may not be shared by everyone, but this really had an impact on us. Since we live in an urban city with few resources for small farms that are producing meat, eggs, and dairy in a truly humane way, we would rather not support the practices of the large-scale farming industry.
Next on the list is the negative impact large farms have on the environment. It takes a shocking amount of land, crops, and water to sustain massive farms and feed the large volume of animals these facilities hold. To put it in perspective, 1 burger patty takes 660 gallons of water to produce (stat taken from The World Economic Forum). Also, animals such as cows and sheep produce toxic emissions such as methane gas and nitrous oxide which are large contributors to global warming. I could go on about this one, but if you would like a very general summary about the meat and dairy industry’s impact on the environment, I encourage you to check out this article from Peta. Yes, it is going to be very biased, but I think it sums things up nicely. I also encourage you to do your own research on sustainability and why even slightly reducing meat consumption may have a positive impact on the environment. I know I may not have all of the information, but this is where we are at with what we know right now!
Last on the agenda is health. I don’t think I need to explain the benefits of eating lots of vegetables and whole foods. Also, I want to preface this by saying I am not a nutritionist, so I am not going to preach about the benefits or drawbacks of meat eating vs. not. Instead, I want to address some of the myths that often come up when people think of a plant-based diet. First is the idea that we aren’t going to get enough protein from just plants. We have found that there are actually a lot of good sources of protein that come from lentils, beans, whole grains, tofu, and other meat substitutes that contain pea protein. Another idea is that people who do not eat meat will become deficient in vitamin B-12. This one isn’t a myth, and we will be taking a supplement for B-12 to ensure we still get this vitamin! In my opinion, if you are cutting out a food group, it is always a good idea to research what vitamins you might be missing and potentially supplement for that (this is not medical advice, just my thoughts). The good news is that by eating mostly whole foods and vegetables, we will be consuming a lot of beneficial vitamins and nutrients. The last common myth that I will address is that you can’t build muscle, lift weights, or perform as well athletically on a plant-based diet. This may be controversial, but there have been some studies done that show increased athletic performance after switching to a plant-based or meat free diet. The documentary “Game Changers” was a really interesting movie to watch for information on some of the potential health benefits of a plant-based diet. I linked it here if you want to give it a watch!
Side note: I don’t want to promote plant-based eating as being “healthier” because, honestly, I don’t know if that is true. However, it is definitely interesting to read about the different theories and studies and decide what is best for you!
There you have it: the three main reasons why we have decided to make this switch. I hope this blog didn’t come across as “better-than-thou” or pretentious because that is truly not my intent. Through learning more about these areas, we have been convicted to make a change, and I don’t expect anyone else to share the same convictions or even come to the same conclusions. We all feel passionate about different things and can make a positive impact for what support! Whatever you choose, I encourage you to do your own research and decide what you want to support as a consumer. I often learn about large scale issues and think that there is nothing I can do on an individual level. However, I believe that as consumers, what we spend our money on counts as a vote of sorts. That being said, this is something we feel passionate about, so we are going to “vote” with our money and buy lots and lots of vegetables!
Stay tuned for some amazing plant-based recipes!
