Vegetarian diets aren’t for everyone, but if you’re considering making the switch, here are ten reasons you should get rid of meat for good!
1. Having a vegetarian diet doesn’t mean you can only eat vegetables. While veggies provide you the nutrients that you could otherwise find in meat, you’re free to consume fruit, bread, dairy, and eggs. Make sure your diet is balanced, though—a common mistake for rookie vegetarians is loading up on carbs to replace meat instead of integrating fruits, veggies, and protein where meat once was.
2. You’ll live longer. Studies show that switching to a vegetarian diet can add up to 13 healthy years to your life. I’ll take it!
3. You’re more likely to lose weight. A vegetarian’s body weight is, on average, 3% to 20% less than an omnivore’s. A recent study conducted by Dean Ornish, M.D. reported that overweight people who switched to a vegetarian diet lost an average of 24 pounds in a year and kept that weight off five years later.
4. You’ll be smarter with your money. 10% of American food spending is used for meat—this can save you hundreds of dollars as your grocery bill adds up even over the course of a few months. And, if you start buying your foods from places like nearby farmers markets, you’re supporting local businesses and boosting the economy! Check out the Oakland Farmers’ Market on Fridays from 3:00-6:00 at Schenley Plaza.
5. You’ll be at a lower risk for serious health issues. A balanced vegetarian diet is proven to reduce the risk for cancer, and it can also prevent and cure heart disease. Most food-borne illnesses are harvested in beef, poultry, and fish products.
6. You’ll avoid toxic chemicals found in meat. Fish and seafood often contain carcinogens as well as metals like mercury and arsenic. Plus, meat, fish, and dairy can be blamed for about 95 percent of the pesticide residue in the typical American diet, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (Note: vegetarians still consume dairy, so be careful about where you get your dairy products!)
7. You’ll protect the welfare of animals. About 10 billion animals are killed for human consumption every year, and most of these animals are force-fed growth hormones and fatty foods, crammed into compact and crowded cages, and forced to live in filthy environments. If fewer people demand meat, less meat will be supplied, and fewer animals will be subject to these inhumane conditions.
8. You’re protesting environmentally unsustainable “factory farm” practices. Slaughterhouses, a.k.a. “factory farms,” are responsible for 173,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams due to chemical and animal waste runoff, according to the EPA. Pollution, much?
9. Vegetarian-friendly restaurants are more popular than ever. Restaurants like Noodles & Company and Tamarind are almost entirely vegetarian-friendly, but you can also find a ton of meatless options on the menus of “standard” restaurants—you can almost always substitute tofu for meat or chicken at Spice Island Tea House, or you can order guacamole instead of meat in your burrito bowl at Chipotle! (Even Market Central and The Perch have great salad bars!)
10. You get to enjoy amazing recipes like these: Zucchini patties, “toffalo” wings (which are awesome for football Sunday, by the way), crunchy veggie wraps, vegan chocolate cream pie, and vegan depression cake. Yum!
Data and statistics provided by Vegetarian Times and Shape.