Being able to make the choice to adopt a plant-based diet, whether by becoming a vegetarian or vegan, is a great way to protect the environment and join the fight for animal rights. While there has been a growing push from those around us to ditch the meat in our diets and go vegetarian/vegan, it’s also important to realize that not everyone is able to make that choice. Here are a few reasons why some people aren’t able to make this change to their lifestyle:
1. Time
Becoming a vegetarian/vegan requires a lot of personal time that many people don’t have. It takes time to research alternatives to animal products, time to prepare vegetarian/vegan meals, and time to discover new recipes. Many people don’t have the time to do all of this in order to make that change, since they’re busy working, doing house chores, taking care of family members, and if they’re able to squeeze it in, practicing self-care. This can make the transition to becoming vegetarian/vegan pretty difficult, and is one of the reasons many people are not able to make this lifestyle change.
2. Money
Changing to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle is not easy on the wallet. Often fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive, especially if they are out of season in grocery stores, and alternatives to animal products can also be quite costly. For individuals who work multiple jobs, send money to family members, and even with just paying their own bills, this switch is often not feasible financially.
3. Health
Individuals’ health can make it impossible, and sometimes even dangerous, to take on a vegetarian/vegan diet. For example, people with iron deficiency anemia don’t produce enough iron in their red blood cells, which means they lack oxygen in their blood, and this can leave them fatigued, feeling weak, with constant lightheadedness, and cold hands and feet from poor circulation. The only way to improve iron deficiency anemia is by supplying the body with iron. This can be done through iron supplement pills and alternatives to animal products such as legumes and nuts, but often these supplements do not provide individuals with enough iron, still leaving them with these insufferable symptoms. It’s not impossible to get enough iron from a plant-based diet, but it is significantly harder. For many who have iron deficiency anemia and other health concerns, eating animal products is the only way to ensure that their body gets enough iron, and that they can remain healthy.
It’s important for us to realize that many people may want to switch to a vegetarian/vegan diet, but that they are unable to because of the above reasons, and many others. And for those who do not wish to change their diet even if they are able to, that’s okay too! Even for those of us who aren’t vegetarian/vegan, there are still ways we can contribute to helping the environment and animal rights, such as incorporating vegetarian meals throughout the week (tofu is a great meat alternative when marinated and pan fried!), choosing to buy clothes second-hand and items that are not made with real fur and animal pelts, and by buying from vegan and cruelty-free makeup brands. Even choosing to eliminate one type of meat from your diet, such as not eating pork, beef, chicken, or fish, is a great step. There are other ways to support the causes for animal rights and environmental justice than by just adopting a plant-based diet, and it’s important to take into consideration and respect people’s choices — you may not know the real reason behind them.