Is Being Vegetarian Enough? 5 Reasons Why Its Better to Be Vegan

Vegan is too extreme - isn't a vegetarian diet enough? If you're looking for an honest answer to this question, you've come to the right place! Most people become vegetarians:inbecause they want to protect animals, the environment and their own health. Maybe you feel the same way.

And in any case, by giving up meat, you are also making an important contribution to the fight against Environmental problems of our time. But some of your good intentions will only be partially fulfilled if you continue to consume eggs, honey, cheese, cream and other dairy products.

In this article, I would like to introduce you to the most important reasons why vegetarian is not enough and why being vegan is much better suited to your personal motives. Let's go!

5 reasons: Why is it not enough to be a vegetarian?

Never again meat - never again dead animals for my food. As a vegetarian a real weight was lifted from my shoulders at first. I even have some other Meat eaters: convinced from my circle of friendsto cook vegetarian dishes more often.

I just felt really comfortable with the decisionwhen I learned that countless animals still had to die for my daily meals - and that I could be doing the environment an even bigger favor. Why this is the case and the reasons that ultimately led me toI will now explain why it is better to be vegan than vegetarian.

1. dairy and egg industry continue

Is vegetarian enough? Even if we no longer eat their meat as vegetarians, chickens for their eggs and goats, sheep and especially cows for their milk, for example, will continue to be slaughtered in the cruel Factory farming held.

Animals are therefore still regarded as an economic product and not as sentient beings. Chickens have their beaks shortened and Male chicks go into the shredder. Cows are artificially impregnated again and againto constantly give milk. And when a cow gives birth to a calf, it is taken from her within the first 48 hours, as the milk is meant to be available to us humans and not to the calf. (under Reasons to avoid cow's milk find out more)

In the end, all animals (whether organic or conventional) that we humans exploit in this way for their milk and eggs are processed into meat. Because the egg and dairy industries are the meat industry. The animals then still have a much too short and often cruel life. The reason why it is not enough to be a vegetarian is therefore primarily milk production for dairy products such as cheese, milk, ice cream, cream or butter.

Tip: I have given you some vegan documentaries that have motivated me personally to take the next step towards veganism.

2. environmental impact remains

Is vegetarian enough? The dairy products that vegetarians continue to consume not only cause animal suffering, but also continue to cause an enormous amount of waste. Greenhouse gas emissions the climate change is a driving force. An enormous amount of energy is required to keep and transport cattle. However, the consumption of butter, cream and cheese also ensures that countless cows continue to emit methane every day, which is 25 times more harmful to the climate than CO₂.¹

I have also included three facts from a Study by the University of Oxford ready for you:

• Veganism: 2,890 grams CO₂ per day per person
• Vegetarianism: 3,810 grams CO₂ per day per person
• Omnivore: 7,190 grams CO₂ per day per person

As a vegetarian, you are already significantly slowing down the environmental problem of global warming. But you can Sustainability of your diet once again, if you eat a purely plant-based diet.

Motivation should also be provided by the fact that factory farming for eggs and dairy products will continue to be the main source of income. massive Deforestation of the forests because forests are cleared for arable and pasture land and for the cultivation of animal feed.

Also the species extinction and the Overfertilization of fields with liquid manure remains a problematic consequence of the decision to live "only" vegetarian and not vegan.

3. poverty, exploitation and displacement continue

As the production of animal-based, vegetarian products such as milk and eggs Very harmful to the climate is and the animals Enormous quantities of cultivated fodder you, as a vegetarian, continue to exacerbate global social problems such as poverty and the World hunger.

In many parts of the world, farmers and workers also work under difficult and dangerous conditions for low wagesto meet the demand for animal products in the western world. Guest workers are also exploited in German slaughterhouses under catastrophic working conditions for starvation wages² - a fact that vegetarians support because egg-laying and milk-producing animals eventually become uneconomical and are processed into meat.

In addition, rainforests and indigenous peoples have to make way for the cultivation of animal feed (especially protein-rich soybean meal from South America). The Land grabbing ultimately drives the indigenous people to flee.³ These were further reasons for me personally to switch from vegetarian to vegan.

4. health burden remains

There is something else I wish I had known earlier in my life: unfortunately, dairy products not only contain calcium, but also a whole range of harmful substances! For example Dioxins, Antibiotic residues, as well as Sex and growth hormones. In the case of eggs, there is a risk of contamination with Salmonella. Both products also contain Cholesterol and saturated fatswhich, among other things, are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.⁴

The decision to be vegan and not "just" vegetarian can therefore also be understandable, Health reasons have

5. the last step towards a vegan diet is easy

Even if the first four motives have not yet convinced you, this argument should motivate you at the latest: You're almost vegan! 😉

After all, it's really only about Milk, cheese, cream, butter, a few other dairy products and eggs, as well as some egg-containing products. As a vegetarian myself, I always said that I could never be vegan because of these foods - but when I dared to try vegan cooking, the transition was surprisingly quick.

Here is therefore a Small list of alternatives for milk, cheese & cowhich underline that the last step to a vegan diet is really not difficult anymore!

How to replace dairy products with plant-based products:

• Milk: Oat milk, soy milk or almond milk (e.g. from Oatly)
• Cheese: Almond-based cheese slices, spreadable cheese and grated cheese (e.g. from SimplyV)
• Cream: Soy-based cream (e.g. alpro Cuisine SOYA)
• Ice: Water-based or almond-based ice cream (e.g. REWE Beste Wahl)
• Butter: Vegetable margarine (e.g. soyola)

And so replace eggs with plant-based:

• Oat flakes and linseed as Binder
• Firm tofu or chickpea flour as Substitute for scrambled eggs
• Black salt (Kala Namak) for the typical Egg taste and smell

The vegan diet offers you a A multitude of new taste experiences and culinary discoverieswhich ultimately make the changeover enjoyable and enriching.

You will have the biggest impact if you are vegan and not vegetarian!

When it comes to making money from an animal, the creature always suffers. And if it no longer makes money, its days are numbered. The In my opinion, therefore, becoming a vegetarian is not enoughto completely stop animal suffering and factory farming and its consequences for the environment and society. Being vegan ultimately unites your personal values even more with your actions - and it feels great!

"The world is not an inferior product, and animals are not a fabrication for our use."

Arthur Schopenhauer (more at Animal welfare quotes)

From my own experience, I can tell you that the last step is really easy. If vegan still seems too extreme for you and you would prefer to remain vegetarian for the time being, this is of course still a valuable decision.

Nevertheless, answer the following question honestlyto finally check the reasons for your decision:

Why are you not vegan?

Since Habit, tradition, convenience and taste I was not able to find any moral justification for the exploitation of animals, so I finally went vegan.

Finally, I would like to further articles from the blog that should make it easier for you to get started with a vegan diet:

• Start into vegan life
• Why vegan? Reasons for a plant-based diet
• Vegan prejudices refuted

Do you have any questions, suggestions, other reasons or a completely different opinion on whether a vegetarian diet is enough? Then just write me a comment.

Stay animal-friendly,

PS: Just stay a little longer in the Nutrition blog inspire. Learn, for example, which Food often surprisingly not vegetarian or vegan are.

References

1. Federal Environment Agency: Nitrous oxide and methane (as of 22.06.2022), available at https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/landwirtschaft/umweltbelastungen-der-landwirtschaft/lachgas-methan. [10.01.2024]. ↩︎
2. M. Götzke: Tönnies and a year of meat scandal The end of exploitation? (as of 27.06.2021), available at https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/toennies-und-ein-jahr-fleischskandal-das-ende-der-ausbeutung-100.html. [10.01.2024]. ↩︎
3. earthlink e.V.: Because we feed and slaughter: People are being driven to flee their homes because of our meat consumption (as at: 21.02.2019), available at https://www.fluchtgrund.de/2019/02/weil-wir-fuettern-und-schlachten-menschen-werden-aufgrund-unseres-fleischkonsums-in-die-flucht-getrieben. [10.01.2024]. ↩︎
4. American Dietetic Association; W. J. Craig; A. R. Mangels: Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets (as of July 2009), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864. [10.01.2024]. ↩︎