There are all sorts of benefits to going vegan and many of us decide to to ditch the meat for health reasons, which is perfectly valid and a great reason for doing so, since a plant-based diet can be richer in fibre, antioxidants and the likes of potassium, folate, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E.
But turning to veganism can also do the planet an awful lot of good and if you’re keen to reduce your impact on the environment as much as you possibly can, giving up meat and dairy is an excellent way of going about this.
Recent research from the University of Oxford found that you could reduce your individual carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent if you do start to follow a plant-based diet and lifestyle.
And, most interestingly, if everyone stopped eating meat and dairy, global farmland could be reduced by 75 per cent - which is the amount of land equivalent to the EU, Australia, China and the US combined.
This would mean that greenhouse gas emissions would drop significantly, while simultaneously freeing up wild land being lost to agriculture, which is one of the biggest drivers behind mass wildlife extinction.
These days, you don’t even have to forgo the flavour and texture of meat, and if you find yourself craving it at the beginning of your vegan journey, what about trying fake meat? This is available in a wide range of formats, using ingredients like seitan, rice, mushrooms, tofu, tempeh and so on… so just try them out and find your favourites.
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