6 Reasons Vegetarians Should Go Vegan
If you’re against one form of animal suffering, you should be against them all.
Many people adopt a vegetarian diet because they care about animals, but the extreme cruelty animals face in the meat industry is just as inherent in the egg and dairy industries.
No cheese is worth it.
Cows on dairy farms are forcibly impregnated, their calves are taken away just after birth, and then they’re hooked up to industrial milking machines so humans can drink the milk intended for their babies. This cycle of suffering continues until they’re just too exhausted to carry on, and then they’re carted off to the abattoir. Is a block of cheese really worth all this suffering?
You can cut down on fat, cut out dietary cholesterol, and improve your health.
Eggs and dairy foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can clog your arteries and lead to heart disease, obesity, and other health issues. Worried about missing out on certain nutrients if you stop eating dairy foods? You can easily get enough calcium from vegetables, and many plant-based milks are fortified with essential vitamins.
ALL chickens suffer in the egg industry – even the ones on “free-range” farms.
Male chicks born into the egg industry are killed shortly after birth because they’re worthless to farmers – many are chucked into bins and left to suffocate or tossed alive into a mincing machine. And even on “free-range” farms, chickens are usually kept in severely crowded sheds and lead stressful, unnatural lives.
You might be dairy-intolerant and not even know it.
A recent Food Standards Agency report found that almost half of young people surveyed reported an adverse reaction to cows’ milk. This really isn’t surprising when you think about the fact that cows’ milk is designed for baby cows, not humans, and is in no way a necessary part of a healthy diet. Try swapping it for a tasty alternative like soya, almond, or oat milk and you might just feel the difference.
There are so many vegan cheese, yoghurt, butter, and milk options.
Have you seen the plant-based milk section in the supermarket recently? All the major chains stock dairy-free butters, yoghurts, and milks – the number of options is staggering. The vegan cheese market has been growing steadily, too – Tesco and Sainsbury’s both offer own-brand dairy-free cheese, from cheddar-style blocks to tubs of cream cheese.
Making the switch from vegetarian to vegan is far easier than you might think. Try swapping cows’ milk for a plant-based version, grab some dairy-free spread instead of butter, and check out our resources to help you get started with vegan cooking.
Inspired to go vegan in the new year? Let us help you every step of the way:
