Kicking off Veganism Properly

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Whatever your reason for being here, we’ve got you covered. We know how veganism has been perceived historically, for some people it’s that vegans are a bunch of crusty hippies, and for others, the word ‘vegan’ itself leaves a bad taste in the mouth, like say, dry falafel – believe us, we have heard it all before.

But let’s be frank, that’s complete rubbish. What’s more important is the mainstream is finally catching on to the fact that more and more people are seeing the health, environmental and animal rights benefits of shifting to a vegan diet.

Despite what you’ve been told, we’re not here to ram veganism down your throat. But we will give you some of the key reasons why more and more people, just like you, are choosing to go vegan every single day:

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The benefits of veganism for our planet

In the most comprehensive analysis of farming ever conducted, the University of Oxford found conclusive evidence that going vegan is the ‘single biggest action’ any individual in the UK can make to reduce their environmental footprint.  

Animal agriculture has a significant impact on our world in several different ways, which explain just why it is so damaging to the planet. Here’s why.  

  • Swapping meat and dairy for plant-based options can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 73 per cent.  
  • If everyone went vegan, we could reduce global farmland use by 75 per cent – the same size as the EU, the US, Australia and China combined. This would help massively in the fight against the climate crisis by allowing more rewilding and sustainable management of land. 
  • Meat and dairy production produces 60 per cent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, even though meat and dairy only produce 18 per cent of all calories consumed and 37 per cent of protein.  
  • Swapping animal products out for vegan products is far more sustainable than trying to purchase more sustainable animal products, which still produce far more emissions than plant-based sources. 
  • In the UK, a typical vegan diet emits 2.5 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a typical meat-eater’s diet. 
  • The fishing industry is the biggest plastic polluter in the world. Most plastic in the oceans is from discarded nets and lines. 

 

The benefits of veganism for our health

Several studies have found that veganism has a positive impact on our health, as has been found by the University of Harvard and the University of Oxford.

  • Many athletes have chosen a vegan diet for their health, such as former England striker Jermain Defoe, who credits his long football career with veganism. Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, two of the best footballers in the world, follow a largely vegan diet during the football season to reach their best potential. A vegan diet goes hand in hand with athletic excellence. 
  • A vegan diet lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 32 per cent compared to any other diet. 
  • Vegans enjoy faster recovery times and lower inflammation compared to any other diet. 
  • Compared to any other diet, vegans have a significantly reduced risk of cancer.   
  • A major study on more than 130,000 people found that vegans have substantially lower death rates than meat-eaters, indicative of the health benefits of a plant-based diet. 

 

The benefits of veganism for animals

Eighty five per cent of animal farming in the UK takes place within factory farms where animals live in cramped, dirty and squalid conditions. More than one billion animals are killed in the UK every year. Choosing plant-based has huge benefits for farmed animals, and also for wildlife by protecting the planet. 

There are tasty, vegan alternatives to almost every animal product out there now, which means that we can still enjoy burgers, ice cream and hot dogs without an animal having to suffer and be killed for it. Vegan products are also healthier and much more sustainable, meaning that everyone benefits from more vegan food. 

 

How to make easy swaps

Nobody expects you to magically go vegan overnight – if you do well done, seriously, but that isn’t the norm. Most people start swapping out meat and dairy slowly and take it one step at a time. Even doing this is having a positive impact on a larger scale. 

If you’re interested in seeing just how easy it can be, or you just want to dip your toe in the water, give our 7-day vegan meal plan V7 a try or find out more information below:  

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