7 Reasons You Should Consider a Plant-Based Diet

It is becoming more and more popular and better understood to choose a diet that doesn’t rely heavily upon the products of an animal. Different varieties of vegetarian and vegan diet choices have existed for many years now and are only becoming more appealing to the larger population.

7 Reasons You Should Consider a Plant Based Diet

If you are on the fence about trying a diet that focuses more on foods made from plant products than animal ones, here are four reasons it is a good idea.

What is a Plant-Based Diet?

A plant-based diet involves cooking and eating meals that use mostly or entirely plant-based ingredients, such as vegetables, grains, fruits, and seeds. Some people follow a plant-based diet but continue to occasionally eat meat or other animal products like milk, cheese, eggs, or butter. The extent to which you want to commit to a plant-based diet is entirely up to you.

Your decision could be based on taste preferences, nutritional requirements, allergies, or moral beliefs. What an individual eats is a personal choice so it’s your business how much or how little you want to dip your toe into plant-based meals.

1. Improved Personal Health

One of the major advantages of choosing a more plant-based diet is the numerous health benefits it can provide. By making the conscious decision to use a more specific set of ingredients, you will be giving yourself more opportunities to choose healthier options.

Animal products can be linked to various health concerns due to their high levels of fat, such as high cholesterol or heart issues. A plant-based diet can reduce these risks while also giving you more energy in your day-to-day life.

Also Read: 6 Steps Beginners Should Take Before Trying The Keto Diet

2. Contributing to a Healthier Planet

Raising animals on farms for any large-scale purpose has a damaging impact on the health of the planet. Biodiversity and oxygen production are at risk when forests are cut down to make room for grazing pastures.

A large percentage of the fields used to grow crops are intended not for human consumption but to feed livestock, wasting resources and space. If you choose to move on to a more plant-based diet, you will be helping to redirect funds from the industries that are causing the most harm to the environment.

3. Restrictions Lead to New Discoveries

Limits generate creativity. If you reduce the potential ingredients when cooking, you are forced to be more adventurous and playful with what you use.

You can visit a vegan restaurant for inspiration about what you can make for yourself and notice how much variety and creativity can be produced without relying on meat or animal products. Mess around with different plant-based ingredients to find out what new meals you might come up with.

4. Reducing Animal Suffering

Another huge reason to reduce your intake of animal products is that animals suffer in the process. Even the most well-treated, free-range, organic livestock doesn’t enjoy a comfortable life of freedom.

You can find out more about how animals are treated and this can help you decide if a plant-based diet is right for you.

5. Making Meals More Affordable

One significant advantage to shifting to a more plant-based diet is that the ingredients needed for a meat-free meal tend to be much more affordable. If you are strategic in how you budget for your meals, you will find that purchasing fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seeds will help you save money in the long run.

Products such as meat and cheese can be a surprisingly high expense if you buy them regularly, so finding plant-based alternatives for your recipe book might also help you with finances.

6. Fewer Risks Attached

Eating plant-based foods is a great way to reduce your risk of suffering from food poisoning. Cooking various meats requires taking a lot of care to prevent contracting diseases such as salmonella.

When you choose to cook with most plants, you won’t need to be quite as cautious about the methods. Of course, you should still make sure your food is clean and hygienic regardless of whether it is plant-based or animal.

Also Read: Breaking Down Myths of the GM Diet

7. Opportunities for More Self-Sufficiency

If you are keen to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle and like the idea of growing your own food to cook and preserve, a plant-based diet will help you to make this dream come true.

If you were committed to the idea of self-sufficiency and wanted to eat animal products with any level of regularity, then you would need to invest in a large enough plot of land to sustain your livestock.

When you only need crops to fulfill your dietary needs, you won’t need as much space for them to grow and thrive. Some people are even able to grow their produce indoors through hydroponic means.

As you can see, opting for a plant-based diet has many advantages. You don’t need to make drastic decisions overnight but can instead slowly transition to a healthier, more vibrant way of enjoying food.

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