Why Now Is the Best Time To Go Vegan

With all the news about how animal agriculture is causing global pandemics, you might be thinking of making the transition to going vegan. Here are five reasons why now is the best time to go vegan.

1. It can help prevent future pandemics

Covid-19, along with three in every four new or emerging infectious diseases, came from animals. Our exploitation of animals in factory farms and wet markets creates the ideal conditions for bacteria and viruses to mutate and infect humans, putting us at huge risk of future pandemics. We can reduce the risk by choosing vegan, as we will not force animals into the unnatural environments that cause disease to spread, and we will not be in as close contact with wild and farmed animals. To find out more, visit our ‘3 in 4’ webpage.

2. You likely have more time to learn vegan recipes

Not knowing what meals to cook can be challenging when you first go vegan. If you’ve been cooking meaty meals your whole life, you might not be sure what to cook. Luckily, we have tonnes of easy and delicious recipes on Vegan Recipe Club, and with lockdown giving most of us more time to ourselves, now is the perfect time to get experimenting in the kitchen. Why not try our Spicy Vegan Bean Burgers or the Viva! team’s favourite, Vegan White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake!

3. There’s no pressure to eat with friends and family

The fear of feeling awkward while eating with friends and family holds some people back from going vegan. After all, it can feel like a big decision to change the food you eat together. During lockdown, the pressure to eat in large groups is removed. You can get into the swing of eating vegan and talk to your friends and family about it before sharing meals. The great news is, more people are eating vegan now anyway!

4. There is so much choice in supermarkets

Even before the pandemic, the choice of vegan food in supermarkets has skyrocketed in the past couple of years. You can now get a vegan alternative for almost every dairy and meat products you can think of! And since the lockdown, we’ve had barely any trouble picking up our favourite vegan meats, milks and cheeses while other products have been sold out. That means you can have a successful vegan shopping trip and get everything you need, rather than living on baked beans for a month!

5. It’s better for you, the planet and the animals.

Research has shown that going vegan can reduce your risk of lots of different diseases including heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, you can save approximately 365 animals a year by going vegan. An Oxford University research paper also found that ‘going vegan is the single biggest thing you can do for the environment.’ In fact, it can reduce your carbon footprint by 73% according to a study last year.