Reasons to be a Vegetarian

There are three main reasons why you should either become a vegetarian or begin to eat less meat and other animal products:

1) Increasing personal health
Meat (as well as eggs and dairy) are high in fat and cholesterol, which can lead to excess weight and heart problems. By replacing at least a portion of your normal meat and dairy intake with a variety of vegetables, beans, and whole grains, you're body will receive more of the vitamins and nutrients it requires to be healthy. All of the nutrients me need (excluding vitamin b12 which is often fortified in cereals and plant milks) can be found in plant-based products. Also, by placing restrictions on your diet, more thought and care must be put into what you eat, leading to healthier choices.

2) Reducing environmental impact
Meat production uses significantly more energy than the production of any other type of food, leads to deforestation and desertification, threatens species diversity, and contributes to the depletion of the ozone through its use of fossil fuels.

3) Promoting animal rights
The meat and dairy industry is out to make money, not to care for the animals. Animals are raised to be slaughtered and exploited, while their own health and well-being is entirely neglected.

If you do choose to eat meat and other animal products, I recommend that you first do your research and buy free range eggs from the farmers market and local organic meat and dairy. This will be healthier for your body because of the lack of possibly dangerous chemicals, good for the environment because of the nature of small-scale organic farms, and good for the animals who are treated with respect and gratitude. Not everyone will become vegetarian or vegan, but if anyone who cares about at least one of the three reasons above chooses to eat less meat, they are doing their small part to make the world better.

Reasons to be a Vegetarian