Why should you live vegan and give up animal products? If you're looking for a clear answer to this question, you've come to the right place! Many vegans preach their reasons for eating a plant-based diet so emotionally and passionately that it comes across as intrusive and annoying to others and you quickly switch off.
But vegans actually know their personal motivation for a plant-based diet all too well because they deal with it on a daily basis. Those who eat a lot of meat and other animal-based foods may not yet - or not so much - have considered the problems and consequences associated with their own diet.
In this article, I would therefore like to show you the reasons for a plant-based diet and why veganism is winning over more and more people. Let's go!
Notice: I will focus on the essentials in my explanations, but will provide you with in-depth articles where you can find out more if you wish.
10 reasons: Why should I eat a plant-based diet and go vegan?
What are the reasons why around 1.52 million people in Germany are already vegan?1 and more than 8 million vegetarians are already on their way there?2 The personal motivation to avoid animal-based foods is usually a mix of health, justice, ethics and animal welfare, environmental protection and enjoyment.
"Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act."
Albert Einstein (more under Animal Welfare Quotes)
To be fair, I should explain this in a little more detail - because anyone can talk! In my opinion, here are the most important reasons for a plant-based diet and the vegan lifestyle at a glance.
Tip: Even more Veganism statistics you can find in the linked article!
1. stop cruelty to animals and factory farming
Why vegan? My personal main reason for vegan diet is the Protection of animals from exploitation by humans - and the associated physical and emotional pain that is not even necessary.
Cows are used, for example, in the Factory Farming artificially made pregnant so that they always give milk. Milk that is actually intended for their calves, which in turn are snatched from their mothers just a few hours after birth.
Pigs their tails are cut off and their teeth ground down so that they don't gnaw at each other in the cramped, dark stalls due to stress. We give them antibiotics so that they can physically endure all this.
Our consumption of animal products only satisfies luxury needs and habits - and has no deeper meaning. Why should I contribute to the exploitation and ultimately the killing of living beings if I don't have to?
Added to this is the Liquid manurewhich is caused by the mass rearing of livestock and pollutes the soil, groundwater and the food grown on it with nitrates and nitric acid. Antibiotic residues encumbered.
Besides the already linked topics you will find here further articles, where you can learn more about this reason for plant-based diets:
- Cruelty to animals - What everyone can do about it
- Chick Shredding - What is it?
- Documentaries about meat consumption
- Why Do Vegans Not Drink Dairy Milk? The Best Reasons to Stop Drinking Cow's Milk
- Tips for animal welfare in everyday life
- Animal Kill Counter - So many animals die every second for our food
2. end deforestation of the rainforests
Why vegan? Plant-based nutrition is not only about mental and physical protection of animals. An important reason for this diet is also the Species Protection in the fight against global Species Extinction.
To the massive Deforestation of the rainforests is mainly due to our diet. In a nutshell: Farm animals such as cows and pigs need a lot of protein-rich food. Pet food - Soybean meal. In order to meet the growing demand for meat and to grow more soy, (rain)forests are being cut down. Incidentally, also to grow more Space for more pastureland to make.
As the forest eventually disappears, so do Shelter, food and livelihoods for animals and plants. In addition, deforestation exacerbates global warming, which also has the biodiversity is endangered on our planet.
For many vegans, massive deforestation is therefore an important reason for choosing a plant-based diet.
Further Reading:
-
Cookbook Vegan cliché goodbye!20 € -
Eat animals13 €
-
Vegan is nonsense!24 €
3. stop climate change
Why vegan? The global warming belongs to the largest Environmental problems of our time - and exacerbates many other challenges. Factory farming (or the meat, egg and dairy industries) is for about 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions responsiblethat accelerate global warming.
For many people, the Climate Change However, this is not really a tangible problem and therefore - in contrast to reality - not an urgent one. However, animal welfare in one's own consumption behavior is tangible and automatically ensures more climate-friendly behavior in everyday life.
Energy and water consumption, animal transportation, deforestation, melting ice - everything is connected. One of the many important reasons for eating a plant-based diet is therefore that we can only achieve a healthy diet through a more conscious meat consumption are in a position to achieve the global climate targets that have been set.
Further Reading:
- Stop climate change
- Tools of factory farming
- Connection between climate and nutrition
- Shape nutrition sustainably
4. show respect for hungry people
Why vegan? Because with a plant-based diet we feed all the people in the world and the global famine can be combated. To produce one kilogram of beef in Germany, for example, 1.7 kilograms of grain alone are required. And currently, 60 percent of the grain used in Germany is used as feed for farm animals.3
One of the main reasons for a vegan diet is therefore that fewer farm animals need to be fed in the long term and more food used for (starving) people can be.
Those who eat a vegan diet also show more respect towards people who live from selling food - such as farmers or fishermen - and all people who are afraid of not having enough to eat every day.
In addition, a climate-friendly diet is respectful of the people who are already threatened by rising sea levels and long periods of heat.
Further Reading:
Tip: I have written you another detailed article about Veganism and human rights written. Be sure to check it out to find out how being vegan:in promotes the protection of human rights.
5. stop water shortage
Why vegan? Because our way of eating massively contributes to the environmental problem of the Water Shortage contributes. Each of us uses water directly (e.g. through showers or flushing the toilet) and indirectly (e.g. through the consumption of beef).
Producing one kilogram of beef alone requires more than 15,000 liters of water for growing fodder, watering troughs, cleaning stables and other things.4
The increasing water scarcity is in turn causing serious crop failures for many people, which are Threaten existence and the Threaten food security.
For many vegans, this is an important motive for their lifestyle.
Further Reading:
6. enjoy new, delicious and varied meals
Why vegan? Because vegan meals are simply unbelievably delicious. You can still have schnitzel, cheese and burgers with fries - just without animal products: Vegetable schnitzel, almond-based cheese and burger with amaranth patty for example!
Basically, not much changes: except that after a short settling-in period, you realize that the Choice of dishes suddenly much greater than before. It's just more animal, environmentally and socially friendly. This is an important reason for the vegan diet.
Further Reading:
- Vegan barbecue - The best tips
- Are meat substitutes unhealthy?
- How to stay vegan at the festival
- Legumes instead of meat
- Eat vegan on the job
7. promote own health and live long
Why vegan? To stay physically fit and healthy. Vegans and vegetarians have on the one hand a lower risk of common diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and obesity.5
On the other hand, the reduced probability of Spread and transmission of diseasessuch as the coronavirus, by avoiding animal products.
Another important advantage of a plant-based diet for many vegans is that it reduces antibiotic resistance in the human body, which can ultimately be life-threatening for us. A The majority of antibiotics available to us humans are fed to farm animals. This is why residues of the medication can also be found in meat.
Further Reading:
- Is vegan healthy or unhealthy?
- Better attitude to life through vegan diet?
- Why chickpeas are so healthy
- Vegan substitutes for meat
Tip: Be sure to see the movie "The Game Changers" on! There, competitive athletes are presented who have been eating only vegan for years and are still successful.
8. prevent killing of animals
Why vegan? Because also the "species-appropriate" but just profit-oriented husbandry of livestock ultimately leads to the early and unnecessary death of animals. Whether organic or conventional: the Slaughter can not be humane and no animal likes to die.
One of the many good reasons to go vegan is therefore that you don't want others to Living beings suffer for their own taste buds and have to die.
Further Reading:
- Do animals have feelings and emotions?
- Animal testing - what you should know
- Convincing meat eaters made easy
9. develop personally
Why vegan? Because veganism is an important step towards becoming more Humanity to show. A plant-based diet is neither unmanly nor soft. She is human! Anyone who finds out about vegan nutrition, as you have just done, proves that he or she questions things and, if necessary, is prepared to change their own diet. Adapt behavior to your own values.
A vegan diet is honest, fair, healthy and contemporary and allows you to enjoy life despite - or precisely because of - this.
Further Reading:
10. use large and diverse offer
Why vegan? Because it is absolutely no longer complicated is to eat only plant-based products. The supermarkets are full of them! The wide range on offer is another reason why more and more people are opting for an environmentally, animal and socially responsible vegan diet.
All you have to do is Allow change slowly and simply try a few "new" foods in the organic market or supermarket.
Further Reading:
Can you think of any other advantages or reasons for eating a plant-based diet? Then write me a comment with your personal motivation!
Why vegan? Good reasons for veganism and plant-based diet
I'm sure you can identify with many and maybe even all of the reasons for veganism mentioned. Perhaps after reading this article you will also have a better understanding of thiswhy some Vegan:inside often annoying or appear intrusive 😉.
Giving up meat and other animal products is simply an emotional issue - both for those who have always eaten meat and for those who have been abstaining from animal products for ages. It is simply important to question one's own behavior - and that of others - again and again. Only then can we recognize what really drives people.
To avoid possible Prejudices against the vegan lifestyle by the way, I can warmly recommend the Book "Vegan is nonsense to the heart. Get it here*.
"I am life that wants to live, in the midst of life that wants to live."
Albert Schweitzer
Whether you are vegan or not: here are three questions to conclude with, which you should answer personally and think about further:
- Why do you eat meat, cheese and why do you drink cow's milk?
- Your brief taste experience or the life of an animal - which is more important?
- Can you imagine killing the animal you eat yourself?
Do you have any suggestions or questions about this article? Or can you think of any other good reasons that speak in favor of a vegan lifestyle? Then simply write me a comment.
Stay animal-friendly,
PS: Especially in the animal welfare blog you can learn much more about the reasons for a vegan lifestyle. For example, educate yourself with the article Are zoos up to date? an opinion about the keeping of animals in zoos.
Source reference:
- IfD Allensbach: People in Germany who classify themselves as vegans or as people who largely abstain from animal products in the years 2015 to 2023 (as of 19.06.2023), available at https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/445155/umfrage/umfrage-in-deutschland-zur-anzahl-der-veganer. [17.09.2024]. ↩︎
- IfD Allensbach: Number of people in Germany who classify themselves as vegetarians or as people who largely abstain from meat (as at: 19.06.2023), available at https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/173636/umfrage/lebenseinstellung-anzahl-vegetarier. [17.09.2024]. ↩︎
- WWF Germany: World nutrition - Survey on German animal feed cultivation (as at: 11.10.2022), available at https://www.wwf.de/2022/oktober/welternaehrung-umfrage-zu-deutschem-tierfutteranbau. [17.09.2024]. ↩︎
- Federal Environment Agency (2017): Hidden water (as of 22.03.2017). https://t1p.de/ddfg. [17.09.2024]. ↩︎
- Albert Schweitzer Foundation: Healthy vegan nutrition, available at https://albert-schweitzer-stiftung.de/themen/gesund/vegan-gesund. [16.09.2024]. ↩︎
