We live in a time where we’re free to make more choices about what and how we eat. Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, keto – there are many eating plans and diets to suit both your biology and your ethics.
Despite this, only 5 percent of US adults identify as vegetarian. It’s never been easier to become a vegetarian. You can find plenty of recipes and meal plans to help you make the transition.
What are the benefits of being a vegetarian? There are many, ranging from animal welfare to personal health.
Read on to learn the top three.
1. Improved Health and Wellness
Those who follow a vegetarian diet enjoy more plant-based nutrients through their food. Fruit and vegetables contain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than animal products.
Vegetarian meals are also lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber. This means vegetarians can reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
The food is easier to digest and absorb so vegetarians enjoy a better metabolism. This can help with weight loss or managing certain health conditions.
Eating more homemade vegetarian meals also means you consume less added salt.
These health benefits explain why vegetarian retirement communities are such a great idea.
2. Avoid Dangerous Additives in Food
Animals often fed growth hormones and antibiotics. Farmers use these medications to give a higher food yield with fewer illnesses.
They’re also unnatural for these animals. The additives leech into the meat and are in turn consumed by meat-eaters.
Some additives are present in the food as a by-product. Fish consume microplastics through their diet. These microplastics end up on your plate whether you want them there or not.
Vegetarians avoid these contaminants by choosing a plant-based diet. In addition, you can boost your nutrient intake by growing your own fruit and vegetables. This is a great way to ensure your food is truly organic.
3. It’s the Environmentally Responsible Choice
The advantages of becoming a vegetarian extend beyond your personal benefits.
A lot of land is given over around the world to grow crops to feed animals. If those crops were given to people instead, it would add 70 percent more food to the global supply.
That could feed an extra 4 billion people.
Switching to a plant-based diet cuts down on the need for raising livestock. This helps to solve the animal welfare issues. It also means there are fewer greenhouse gases produced by animal emissions.
Selling less meat means using less energy for packing and storing fresh meat. This helps to cut down on the amount of waste going to landfill.
The Benefits of Being a Vegetarian
We’ve covered just three of the top benefits of a vegetarian diet in this article. There are many more, such as spending less money on food. You’ll also suffer from fewer gastrointestinal issues caused by poorly-prepared animal products.
The decision is yours. Yet with so many delicious vegetarian recipes available, you’re sure to find the food you like.
Check out our nutrition and healthy food articles for some great recipes and tips. We can help you make the vegetarian change.
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