Veganism has been becoming increasingly popular with more and more people adopting a vegan lifestyle and has reached new heights in 2021. To those who are new to this and are still unsure about what veganism entails, it’s quite simple. Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal derived products in all aspects of your lifestyle. This includes not only giving up meat but also milk and other dairy products, honey etc. From health benefits, environmental benefits, and, most importantly to the ethical reasons involving improvement of the lives and wellbeing of animals, there are multiple reasons why one chooses to adopt a plant-based lifestyle.
Impact
Eating a vegan diet could be the biggest way to reduce the environmental impact on earth on an individual level. According to Science Magazine, the meat and dairy industry accounts for 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gases. Eliminating these products from your diet could reduce your carbon footprint from food by 73 per cent. You can do your part for the world just by changing what you choose to eat every day.
Vegan diets also tend to be rich in nutrients and low in saturated fats. So, if followed correctly, a vegan diet can be highly nutritious, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and aid weight loss. Animal products — including meat, cheese, and butter — are the main dietary sources of saturated fats. This causes high levels of cholesterol which in turn leads to increased risk of heart disease. An article published by Medical News Today says that research suggests that the plant-based diet can improve heart health, protect against cancer, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Protein Myth
There are also some myths people tend to believe when it comes to practicing veganism, the most common one being plant-based diets lack protein.
In actuality, the Dietary Reference Intake for protein is only 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Vegans tend to consume more protein than the daily minimum recommended amount, and protein deficiencies are extremely rare. Some of the best sources of protein for vegans include tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, almonds, and quinoa. You can also drink vegan mylks such as Oat Milk, Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, etc. that are similar in taste to regular milk and are even lighter on the stomach.
Truth or Dairy
Even with such strong environmental and health-related arguments, for many people, not having a hand in the exploitation of animals remains the key factor in their decision to go vegan. Multiple reports published by animal rights organisations such as PETA show that the production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use as they do not produce milk, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered as they get old and their milk production decreases. Going vegan is one of the best things you can do to bring an end to animal cruelty and speciesism.
Future is Vegan
The world is slowly coming up with alternatives that are not only 100% plant-based but also replicate the taste of dairy or animal-based products that we are accustomed to. With vegan mylks, eggs, cheese, butter, cottage cheese, chocolates and even curd, society and its people’s transition to being more conscious and compassionate has become easier.
Piperleaf, through its various existing and upcoming products aims at exactly this – making veganism more accessible and also more delicious. We believe that we can all change the future of the world simply by changing what’s on our plate.
