It’s hard to love and care for animals while eating them at the same time. I have been eating chicken, beef and pork for the entirety of my life up until a couple weeks ago. Growing up, I had no problem eating chicken for dinner after school or bacon on lazy Sunday mornings with my family. I was raised to eat meat as a protein, and something to go with my fries so I had sustenance (thanks mom). Some of my all-time favorite meals include meat. But recently I decided to give them up.
Ever since I left home and came to Virginia Tech, I have been able to figure out what is important to me and how I want to live my life. I have a great life, thanks to my parents, but there were some changes I wanted to make to my lifestyle. College makes you open your eyes to other possibilities and new things. Ever since I gave a presentation on Factory Farming in my Global Ethics class freshman year, I knew that I wanted to make some adjustments to my diet.
After doing research on the meat company in the United States and how inhumane these animals are treated, I couldn’t take it anymore. I cut out meat, cold-turkey (no pun intended), but I did it by myself. It’s very hard to change something so drastic in your life on your own. I watched my friends eat Chick-fil-a nuggets knowing that I really wanted some too. Let’s just say, it didn’t last very long. I gave up and went back to eating meat over the summer and into the beginning of first semester, Sophomore year. I knew what I was doing by eating meat but I pushed it into the back of my mind.
Up until a month ago, I made the final decision to cut out meat completely. One of the main reasons why I chose to, is because of what my boyfriend said to me. “How can you love animals so much and care for them yet eat them knowing how they are treated and how it’s affecting the environment?” That question really hit me hard and greatly influenced me to change. Lately, my friends have been making the change with me which makes it a lot easier and my bank account is thanking me.
There are numerous reasons why I decided to cut out meat. Just to name a few…methane produced by farm animals, such as cows, is one of the largest contributors to climate change. Factory Farming is brutal, inhumane and disgusting. I personally do not believe that these sentient beings should be treated by their greedy means. Cutting out meat drastically reduces your risk of heart disease, which is the number one killer in the world. Also, it will reduce the amount of money you spend on groceries every week.
It’s definitely a process but having support from my friends and family has made it easier to make this lifestyle change. I feel good knowing that I have made a small modification to better the environment as well as myself. So far, I have been eating more vegetables and nuts while using meat substitutes for some of my favorite foods. It’s nice knowing that I can make somewhat of a difference to better the world. It’s not easy, but it is worth it. Image Source: Giphy.com