6 Reasons to Start a Vegan Diet

If you often find yourself torn between indulging in your favorite hamburger and making a healthier choice when ordering food, you're not alone! The importance of health has come into focus even more since the pandemic, making the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle a sensible decision.

One of the latest trends in pursuing a healthier lifestyle is the adoption of veganism or a vegan diet. As more and more people embrace veganism as a way of life, vegan food options have become increasingly prevalent. You can find vegan products everywhere, from supermarkets to upscale restaurants, and they're even endorsed by celebrities and featured in documentaries.

The choice to follow a vegan diet is often seen as a healthier lifestyle option. However, for some, it may seem challenging, considering the absence of eggs, dairy, and cheese. Questions arise: Can you enjoy a pizza without your favorite cheese topping, have your morning tea or coffee without milk, or forgo the easy omelet breakfast? So, why are people making the switch?

For many vegans, adopting a vegan diet isn't just about nutritious eating but also carries ethical implications and environmental concerns, aiming to reduce their environmental footprint.

Here are six compelling reasons to consider starting a vegan diet:

1. Numerous Health Benefits: A vegan diet, centered on plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole grains, offers a wide array of health advantages. It provides essential nutrients, fiber, iron, minerals, and vitamins. Vegan foods are rich in fiber, nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that can have a positive impact on blood pressure, weight management, cholesterol levels, heart health, and type 2 diabetes. Both the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the British Dietetic Association affirm that well-planned vegan diets promote healthier living.

   You might wonder about meeting your daily protein and calcium needs without meat and milk. The answer is yes. You can make healthier food choices like broccoli, black beans, nuts, tofu, quinoa, flaxseeds, sesame, plant-based milk, and soybeans to fulfill your daily protein and calcium requirements.

2. Healthy Weight Management: Research indicates that a well-balanced vegan diet can contribute to effective weight management and obesity prevention. Vegan diets, high in fiber, can help curb appetite and foster a feeling of fullness. Reduced calorie intake naturally supports weight control without the need for calorie counting. Vegan diets also contain fewer unhealthy fats that tend to lead to weight gain, potentially helping you maintain a slimmer waistline.

3. Advocating for Animal Rights: If you're passionate about ending animal exploitation and cruelty, going vegan is a principled choice. Documentaries like "Food, Inc." and "Cowspiracy" shed light on inhumane practices and mistreatment of animals in factory farming. Additionally, government regulations often fall short in addressing these issues. By embracing vegan foods, you can take a moral stance against animal product consumption and contribute to saving animals from such conditions.

4. Positive Environmental Impact: Your daily dietary choices can have a substantial impact on the environment. Research published in the Science journal reveals that meat and dairy production significantly harm our environment. It emphasizes that current food production practices are depleting natural resources, causing deforestation, and accelerating global warming and climate change. Adopting a vegan diet can be a positive step toward environmental conservation. A vegan diet has a comparatively lower environmental footprint and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Promoting Sustainability: With concerns about food shortages due to a growing global population, vegans may offer a solution to sustainability. According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, despite the expected doubling of world meat production by 2050, there won't be enough land to accommodate animal farms to produce such volumes of food. Currently, animal farming and the land required to feed livestock occupy a significant portion of the world's habitable land, but they can only provide around 18 percent of the world's nutritional needs. In contrast, plant-based practices can yield substantial energy and food resources using just a third of that land.

6. Exploring New Culinary Horizons: Embracing a vegan diet can introduce you to a world of exciting flavors and recipes. Transitioning to a vegan diet encourages culinary exploration, allowing you to experiment with a wide range of plant-based ingredients. If you're unsure about how to expand your culinary repertoire in the vegan realm, don't worry. You can watch YouTube cooking shows and follow recipe blogs to discover delicious meal ideas.

If you're aiming for a wellness-focused lifestyle, a vegan diet can be the right choice for you. Whether your wellness goals involve eating better, maintaining good health, or losing weight, a vegan diet can help you achieve these objectives and more.

If you're concerned about vegan food delivery, consider getting started with Foodhak. Enjoy convenient and healthy food delivery right to your doorstep. Explore their extensive menu online and place your order to savor the best vegan cuisines.

Reviewed By : Michele Porter - Nutritionist

Source: Heart Health - Yokoyama, Y., Nishimura, K., Barnard, N. D., Takegami, M., Watanabe, M., & Sekikawa, A. (2014). Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: A meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(4), 577-587.

Also read: 5 Plant Based Protein, Vegan Low Calorie Soup, Vegan Cookbooks Of 2022,