Why Go Vegan? The Top Reasons Why People Choose Vegan
Have you ever thought about switching up your diet by going vegan? Then you’ve come to the right place. Outstanding Foods is a 100% plant-based snack food company that is passionate about making delicious alternatives to all your favorite snack foods so that you have something to crunch on once you go vegan!
You might be thinking, but why do people decide to go vegan, and what does vegan mean anyway? Don’t worry, we gotchu! Today, we will cover everything you need to know about veganism, such as what it is, why people do it, and how you can get started. Sit back, relax, and get ready for some super thorough plant-based content.Â
What Does Vegan Mean?
Okay, let’s start off small. What does vegan even mean? Well, people who are vegan only eat products that come from plants. No, that doesn’t mean that they only eat salads and plain vegetables. The world is full of fantastic vegan food options. A plant-based diet simply avoids any foods that come from an animal or from animal agriculture. That means no milk, eggs, meat, fish, or even honey.Â
Some vegans also avoid using any non-food products that come from animals, such as leather, suede, or wool. That means steering clear of beauty products that contain animal products like beeswax or products that are tested on animals, too. Basically, if it came from an animal in any way, it’s a hard pass.
What Are The Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet?
You may have read the previous section and thought, “oh gosh, that sounds like an inconvenient amount of rules,” but once you get the hang of identifying plant-based products, you will see just how easy it is to avoid animal products. Sometimes, plant-based products are even cheaper—cha-ching, bonus!
There are countless benefits to saying goodbye to animal products and going vegan. Veganism can be cheaper, better for your health, less harmful to the environment, and is most certainly better for the livelihood and happiness of animals.Â
Vegetarian Vs. Vegan: What’s The Diff?
If you are confused about the difference between veganism and vegetarianism, not to worry! The difference is simple: vegetarians don’t eat meat, but they still eat dairy products and sometimes eggs. While a vegetarian will eat a slice of cheese pizza, a vegan would only be interested if the cheese was vegan.Â
Woah, they make vegan cheese?! Yep, they sure do. In fact, they make a ton of vegan alternatives to dairy and meat items. Nowadays, every grocery store is a vegan paradise. While vegan alternatives used to be difficult to find, they are now available in abundance. You can try multiple brands of vegan sausage, burgers, pepperoni, hot dogs, cheese, whipped cream, butter, ice cream—the list goes on and on.Â
Why Veganism?
Starting out as a vegetarian and slowly working your way to veganism is easier than quitting all animal products cold turkey. No pun intended! You will likely find that you will naturally creep toward veganism as you branch out and begin eating a more plant-based diet.Â
But why go all the way? Well, it depends on why you are interested in becoming a vegan in the first place. If you are in it for the animals, then going full vegan is the only way to truly cut out all animal cruelty. If you are in it for the environment, you may want to go full vegan to no longer contribute to the environmental impact of the dairy and egg industry. If you are in it for your health, then cutting out dairy may be beneficial to your health goals.Â
Why you decide to become a vegan is totally up to you. Once you decide the best choice for you, write down your goal with veganism. If you find yourself struggling to stay committed, revisiting this written goal can help you get back on track.Â
Do It For The Animals
One of the main reasons that people become vegan is because they have intense compassion for animal suffering. After all, a lot of the animals we eat are mammals, just like us. Unfortunately, the meat industry is not what commercials would like for you to believe. There are no free-range cows roaming in lush green pastures filled with fresh air or pigs happily rolling around in the mud. If you have ever seen a meat farm, perhaps driving on a road trip, then you know that the reality of meat farms is much, much sadder.Â
Factory farming has been around for decades at this point. It is the term for the industrialized method of raising farmed animals. All animals, including cows, pigs, sheep, chickens (and the hens that produce eggs), turkeys, and pretty much any animal that we eat, are crammed into unethically small spaces and treated in an outrageously inhumane way. This cruelty towards sentient beings extends to the dairy and egg industry. Although these animals are not killed immediately, they live in terrible conditions until they go to slaughter, just like meat animals.Â
If you want to take a deeper dive into factory farming, then there are endless resources on the internet but be warned the videos, pictures, and descriptions are incredibly violent and upsetting. A lot of people who are vegans have seen such resources, and it is the reasoning behind their commitment to veganism.Â
Do It For Your Health
There are countless health benefits to adopting a vegan lifestyle. For example, vegans are a staggering 15% less likely to develop or die from cancer. Vegans also may have up to a 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure and a 42% lower risk of heart disease. Veganism might even boost your mood!Â
Vegans also tend to be healthier since they are more prone to eating plants that are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber rather than high-fat products and red meats. While you may have to pay closer attention to certain things like your levels of iron and vitamin B12, that’s about it. Some people used to argue that vegan diets weren’t substantial enough to support highly active lifestyles, but there are several vegan professional athletes nowadays that have proven the naysayers wrong. Plants have power!
Do It For The Environment
Some people choose to go vegan in an effort to reduce their environmental impact. The meat and dairy industry is fueling the climate change crisis, but the growing popularity of plant-based diets is beginning to make an impact on Planet Earth.Â
In fact, a global shift to plant-based diets could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2050. This is because animal products generally require more resources to produce than their plant-based alternatives, which in turn leads to more output of greenhouse gases like methane.Â
Looking for some cold, hard facts when it comes to water use? One pound of beef takes at least 1,800 gallons of water to produce—and we haven’t even started talking about land use. Seriously, going vegan just might be the single biggest way you can lend a hand here. In other words, Mother Earth wants you to go full-on veg!
How To Go Vegan
Okay, so you’re convinced. Whether you have decided to go vegan to help the animals, the earth, your own health, or all three, there are tons of resources online to help you make the transition to a vegan diet. We promise, once you find your go-to foods, veganism will come naturally.Â
When you’re looking for protein, you can turn to alternatives like tofu, beans, legumes, whole grains, and nuts like almonds and peanuts to really get what you need. Swap out the dairy milk for almond, oat, or coconut versions, and you’ll never go back.Â
Of course, as a vegan, you may still crave some of your favorite meaty foods, but luckily there are tons of tasty alternatives just waiting to be plucked off the shelves. In modern times no food product is too niche. There is a vegan alternative for everything—even pork rinds!
Say What About Pork Rinds?
If you are obsessed with the crispy umami flavors of a pork rind, then we’ve got you covered with an equally addictive alternative. Enter PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds, the delicious crispy plant-based alternative to your favorite crispy snack. Our version of pork rinds is just as flavorful as the meaty crisps without any curly tails harmed in the process.Â
PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds come in five delicious flavors: Original, Texas BBQ, Salt and Vinegar, Nacho Cheese, and Hella Hot. We’ve covered all the flavor bases so that you have a plant-based version of all your favorite crave-worthy flavors.Â
The best part is, these tasty Pigless Pork Rinds are packed with the nutrients your body needs to supplement a vegan diet. Each bag has 25 grams of powerful plant-based protein and is also gluten-free, GMO-free, soy-free, and cholesterol-free. Plus, these bad boys have 75% less sodium and 67% saturated fat than “traditional” pork rinds. With flavors you can’t resist and superior nutrition, you can yeet “traditional” pork rinds straight into the garbage.Â
Wrap Up
Vegans live a healthier lifestyle that has less of a negative environmental impact and is kinder to animals than omnivores. Plus, with so many delicious vegan food options, you’ll never run out of tasty new snacks to try. So now that you’ve got the inside scoop on veganism, will you decide to switch to a plant-based diet?
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Sources:Â
Factory Farming: What It Is and Why It's a Problem | Humane LeagueÂ
​​The Vegan Diet — A Complete Guide for Beginners | Healthline
A Vegan Diet: Eating for the Environment | Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
