I have been a vegetarian since I was 10 years old, so for the past 16 years I have not consumed the flesh of an animal thanks to watching a graphic video that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) released of slaughterhouse footage. I have been vegan on-and-off for the past two years now, trying as much as possible to avoid dairy and eggs, and to strive for a plant-based diet. The reasons for choosing to cut animal products out of my diet are much more complex now than when I first became a vegetarian and didn’t want to eat meat because I thought pigs and cows were too cute to be food.
What is a vegan?
Let’s first clarify what I mean when I say “vegan,” as there are many different dietary restrictions that often get confused with one another.
Pescatarians avoid eating any meat products from land animals, but will still eat fish and seafood.
Lacto-ovo vegetarians cut out all forms of meat from their diet, but still consume dairy products and eggs.
Lacto vegetarians do not eat any meat, or eggs, but still consume dairy products.
Ovo vegetarians do not eat any meat, or dairy, but still consume eggs.
Plant-based is a diet that is not necessarily totally vegan or vegetarian, but one where people choose to focus their eating patterns primarily on plant-based products. If they consume meat, they do so rarely and not as the centre-point of their meal.
Vegans do not eat any product of animal origin. They cut out all meat, dairy products, eggs, and honey. As well, most vegans do not use cosmetic products that are tested on animals, and avoid using animal products in their clothing and accessories, such as leather, wool, and silk. For many, veganism is a lifestyle as well as a diet.
Why choose a vegan diet?
For Your Health
Eliminating meat and dairy from your diet forces you to add more grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables and can add more fibre, antioxidants, and other vitamins and nutrients into your diet.
“But how do you get your protein?” is a question that I get asked almost immediately after someone finds out I don’t eat meat. There are a myriad of ways to get sufficient amounts of iron and protein as a vegan: pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, tofu, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, peanut butter, almonds, swiss chard, collard greens, tempeh, barley, soy, quinoa, oatmeal, and fortified cereals are all excellent sources of protein and/or iron. It is important to pair these iron- and protein-rich foods with vitamin C, such as oranges, bell peppers, and strawberries in order to absorb non-heme iron, which is iron found in plant-based foods.
Vegans need to be vigilant to get enough vitamin B12, which is produced by bacteria. Usually people consume B12 through animal products, as some livestock will accumulate this bacteria during their lives. However, it can still be found in certain algae, fortified cereals like Vector, fortified non-dairy milk, and nutritional yeast.
There have been several studies that indicate vegans may experience certain health benefits, such as lower blood sugar levels and improved kidney function, which reduces the risk of diabetes. There may also be a reduced risk of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and arthritis pain when you switch over to a plant-based diet, but the current research is inconclusive. Not to mention, a high-fibre, plant-based diet can do wonders for your intestines and your digestive tract, i.e. you will have the best poops of your life. However, the downside to eating all of these extra fibres found in beans and vegetables is extra bloating and flatulence.
Moreover, a study done by the Harvard School of Public Health found there may be an increase in mortality associated with the consumption of red meat, coming to the conclusion that “[a]n increase in total red meat consumption of at least half a serving per day was associated with a 10% higher mortality risk.”
While eating vegan can lead to the increased consumption of plant-based foods, it is completely possible to be a vegan and live off of potato chips, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and coconut ice cream. Supermarkets are now full of vegan junk food that is high in additives, sodium, and processed sugar. Also, I’ve personally found that I consume way more carbohydrates than I ever did before being vegan because I ended up filling my diet with a lot of bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes — all delicious, vegan options, but not ideal if you’re looking to lose weight.
For the animals
I first became vegetarian because I thought it was unethical to kill sentient beings for food. I never wanted to eat a pig or a cow, with both species showing high levels of personality, emotion, and intelligence. I never grasped why some animals are considered pets, and others are considered food. This argument is highly cultural, as dogs are eaten in certain Asian countries, like South Korea and China; as well, guinea pigs, a common household pet here in North America, are a delicacy in the Peruvian diet.
Eating animals is not unethical — humans may not have evolved into the intelligent animals we are today without consuming meat. It is the inhumane and sadistically cruel way in which the animals are raised and killed in factory farms that is unethical.
A factory farm is defined as a large, industrial farm: in Merriam-Webster it’s listed as “a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost.” Not all factory farms are the hellscapes that PETA paints them to be; some actually follow animal welfare laws, but others truly are torturing animals every day.
Animals raised in factory farms are often raised in extremely overcrowded, cramped cages and pens. They are pumped full of antibiotics to keep diseases from spreading like wildfire and hormones to allow them to grow at unnatural rates. To prevent animals from hurting one another, spreading disease, and to ensure the best-tasting meat, farmers debeak chickens, dehorn cattle, castrate pigs, and cut the tails off of pigs and cows, generally without any kind of anesthesia.
If you’re a vegetarian that eats eggs, consider the fact that laying hens are one of the animals that suffer the most in factory farms. Many spend their lives in cages so small they cannot walk or even spread their wings.
Conditions for employees at factories farms, and the slaughterhouses where the animals are sent to, may include long working hours and increased chances of workplace injuries, not to mention the psychological harm caused to slaughterhouse employees who are constantly working under conditions of large-scale violence and death. Contract farmers are living hand-to-mouth as they are exploited by large corporations, leading to the deterioration of rural communities. A large percentage of factory farm workers in the U.S. are immigrants, an unknown percentage of them undocumented. Some farmers prefer undocumented workers because they are less likely to protest their inhuman work conditions and low wages.
If you are unwilling to go vegan or vegetarian because you just love the taste of meat too much, the least you can do is know where your meat is coming from. Did the animals live a happy life where they could feel the sunshine on their back, graze on grass, and run in open pastures? Support small, local farms who are raising animals in humane conditions. Yes, this type of meat will be more expensive than the kind you buy at Walmart. Consider having meat in just one meal a day so you don’t need to buy so much of it — quality over quantity. Try shopping at Reverent Acres farm in Abbotsford, Central Park Farms in Langley, or Sumas Mountain Farms.
For the environment
Giving up meat, in particular beef, is one of the single most effective things you can do to lower your carbon footprint. Raising cows for meat is extremely land-inefficient, and produces large amounts of methane gas. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 33 per cent of cropland on Earth is used to grow feed for livestock, and up to 26 per cent of ice-free land on Earth is used to graze livestock.
Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of red meat, produces 10 million metric tons of beef per year, with China as its main consumer. The Amazon rainforest has been deforested by 17 per cent in the last 50 years, with 80 per cent of recent deforestation caused by cattle ranching. One hamburger requires an estimated 14.6 gallons of water, 13.5 pounds of feed, and 64.5 square feet of land.
Animal agriculture emits 18 per cent of the total human-induced greenhouse gas emissions including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Manure produced in animal agriculture is prone to spillage and can contaminate local water supplies. An Illinois hog farm’s manure spill killed over 140,000 fish in 2012.
There are simply not enough resources to keep producing meat at the rate we are currently consuming it. Large-scale deforestation takes place in order to graze animals and grow their feed. There is also an overwhelming amount of manure to deal with that some farmers are disposing of illegally, and massive amounts of fossil fuels are needed to transport herds of livestock from where they are raised to slaughterhouses, and to grocery store shelves. This industry is simply not sustainable, and in due time giving up meat will not be a choice, but a necessity.
Climate change is a complex issue that will not be mitigated by participation in Meatless Mondays. In order to make this planet inhabitable for our grandchildren, we need to start making dramatic changes in our lifestyles and consumption habits. Don’t show up at climate change protests armed with wonderfully artistic signage if you are not willing to make tangible changes in your own life. Going vegan could save our planet.
What about fish?
The fishing/seafood industry has just as great consequences for our health, the environment, and animal and human welfare. The industry is full of hormones usage, worker exploitation, and pollution. Fishermen are overfishing at a rate faster than fish can reproduce, which is causing serious damage to our marine ecosystems. Atlantic cod and herring were nearly overfished to the point of extinction. A study conducted in 2006 concluded that if we continue pillaging the sea at the rate we are now, every species of wild-caught seafood will collapse by 2050.
The equipment used to catch such large quantities of fish is destroying marine ecosystems and aquatic habitats. Trawling can lead to large amounts of bycatch, so marine life such as turtles and dolphins end up getting caught by commercial fishermen by accident. This bycatch can contribute to the degradation of ecosystems, a disruption in the aquatic food chain, and the endangerment of species.
Discarded fishing gear, nets, and lines make up 10 per cent of all plastic pollution in the ocean, and up to 70 per cent of surface macroplastic pollution. This lost gear is a hazard to all marine life, as it ends up ensnaring tons of animals and fish. The macroplastics, which break down into microplastics as they disintegrate in the ocean, are consumed by fish, which eventually get eaten by humans.
Then of course, there is the risk posed to wild fish (especially salmon), when contaminated by pathogens from farm-raised fish along the B.C. coast. B.C. has seen a dramatic decline of Fraser River sockeye salmon, which some suggest is the result of large-scale aquaculture, and others say is due to climate change.
The fishing industry around the world is rampant with cases of slave labour, with children and men being kidnapped or tricked into working on a deep-sea trawler, with nearly uninhabitable living conditions, brutal working conditions, and frequent abuse and murder. The Thai fishing industry has been known to enslave undocumented immigrants from Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as young boys looking for work. Slavery in the indistry largley goes undocumented and unnoticed, and it is impossible to know just how many people on commercial fishing boats are there by force.
With all these rampant atrocities against both humans and animals, it is worth considering a transition to a vegan lifestyle. If you do feel that this is the right option for you, consider the following advice.
Tips for going vegan
Take it slow. Make small changes each day and focus on a slow transition rather than a 180-degree turn into a brand new diet. Start by switching one meal a day to be completely meat/dairy free, then go one day a week, until you reach a point where you are eating sustainably-sourced meat just once or twice a month as a treat.
Eat more. Remember that plant-based meals have lower caloric values than meals containing meat and dairy, so be sure to eat larger portions and more often if you find yourself fatigued or losing weight.
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Just because you indulged in some free pizza a club was giving out one day, or had a piece of turkey at a family gathering does not mean you need to fall off the bandwagon completely. It’s okay to satisfy your sweet tooth with some milk chocolate every once in a while. When making any significant life changes just remember: progress over perfection.
Stay motivated. Keep reminding yourself why you are making this lifestyle change, watch some movies that highlight the dangers of factory farming, like Okja, Cowspiracy, or Food Inc. Volunteer at a farm animal sanctuary once a week and discover that pigs love belly rubs, and cows come when you call them. Try Happy Herd in Aldergrove, Saints Rescue in Mission, or Good Shepherd Barn in Surrey.
Don’t avoid going to social events like dinners or potlucks; simply bring your own vegan dish to share with others so they can discover just how delicious plants are. Remember that no one should try and shame you for your dietary choices, or guilt you into eating things you don’t want to eat. You are doing what you think is best for your body and for the environment, and anyone who doesn’t respect your choices isn’t that great of a person to hang out with anyway.
Try prepping meals and snacks at the beginning of the week so you are not tempted to get non-vegan takeout when you are in a pinch. Get meal inspiration from blogs like Minimalist Baker, So Vegan, and Thug Kitchen. Buy everything you can in bulk, and get your produce from B-grade grocers like Fruiticana to save money.
The world does not need a few self-righteous vegans who eat plants 100 per cent of the time, but rather, a multitude of people willing to reduce their meat and dairy consumption for the greater good of our planet, our health, and other living creatures.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
